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EOUOATIOJVi  DEPT. 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO  •    DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •  BOMBAY  •  CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


•  -  .   !• 


Photo  by  "  International' 
John  Burroughs.    Author  and  Naturalist 

Making  maple  sugar  on  his  eighty-third  birthday 


COMMUNITY  ENGLISH 


A  BOOK  OF  UNDERTAKINGS 
FOR  BOYS  AND  GIRLS 


MILDRED  BUCHANAN  FLAGG 


1       i   .- 


THE   MACMILLAN    cdM?A:N¥.'''/:i*M\ 

•  i  • «   » • » 

1922 

All  rights  reserved 


PRINTED   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES   OF   AMERICA 


Copyright,  1921, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.    Published  November,  1921, 


•   •     •  »•  •   . 


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•«'..«  c  %•      .  c  , ,  :  ^'-^^  S^  -Cushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


TO 


JOHN   D.    BIGELOW 

TEACHER  AND 
FRIEND 


541216 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/communityenglishOOflagrich 


PREFACE 

This  book  aims  to  be  of  positive,  practical  value 

1.  In  helping  the  pupil  to  develop  within  himself  the 
power  to  understand,  use  correctly,  and  appreciate  the 
mother  tongue. 

2.  In  contributing,  through  individual  and  group  in- 
vestigations and  reports  of  community  activities,  to  the 
making  of  sturdy,  competent  American  citizens. 

3.  In  giving  the  pupil  a  feeling  of  self-reliance  based 
upon  the  knowledge  that  he  has  done  his  own  research 
work  and  thought  questions  through  for  himself. 

4.  In  providing  group  exercises  in  which  the  pupil 
becomes  a  critic  of  his  own  work  and  that  of  his  classmates. 

5.  In  drawing  little  distinction  between  school  and 
out-of-school  activities. 

6.  In  suggesting  a  sufficient  number  of  purposeful 
activities  to  interest  every  pupil  in  the  class. 

7.  In  making  it  unnecessary  for  the  teacher  to  make 
such  a  statement  as,  ^'It  may  not  appear  useful  to  you  now, 
but  it  will  be  extremely  valuable  to  you  in  after  life." 

8.  In  helping  the  pupil  to  form  proper  mental  habits 
by  uninterrupted  attention  to  one  undertaking  at  a  time. 

9.  In  giving  the  pupil  a  more  intimate  acquaintance 
with  his  environment. 

10.   In  providing  an  incentive  for  good  English  outside 
the  schoolroom. 

'  vii 


viii  Preface 

This  book  is  designed  for  use  in  the  grammar  grades 
and  in  junior  high  schools.  Each  Undertaking  is  a  com- 
plete unit  in  itself  and  is  in  the  highest  possible  degree 
independent  of  the  other  Undertakings.  In  each  unit  the 
first  activity,  in  one  of  its  several  forms,  should  be  worked 
out  by  each  pupil.  Additional  similar  projects  may  be 
undertaken  if  interest  warrants  and  time  permits. 

The  method  of  this  book  needs  little  comment  or  ex- 
planation. The  book  has  been  written  for  the  pupils  and 
the  Undertakings  have  been  presented  in  simple,  concise 
fashion.  The  subject  matter  is  organized  in  nineteen 
comprehensive  units  which  provide  a  far  greater  amount 
of  suggested  material  than  any  one  teacher  or  class  can 
possibly  use.  This  freedom  of  choice  affords  a  variety  of 
work  which  would  otherwise  be  impossible. 

Furthermore,  local  conditions  and  experience  are  em- 
phasized to  such  an  extent  that  the  problem  of  what  to 
say  proves  no  longer  troublesome,  and  undivided  atten- 
tion may  be  given  to  how  to  say  it.  Home  industries, 
home  government,  public  utilities,  and  local  history  form 
the  means  by  which  the  work  of  the  English  class  is  almost 
automatically  correlated  with  that  in  other  subjects. 
Introductory  talks  and  questions  serve  as  guides  to  the 
pupil.  The  play  spirit,  so  large  a  part  of  the  home  and 
outdoor  life  of  the  pupil,  is  made  a  salient  feature  of  the 
classroom  activity.  Hence  there  is  no  lost  energy  and 
no  mind-wandering.  Indeed,  in  almost  every  Undertaking 
the  pupil  loses  sight  of  the  fact  that  he  is  gaining  knowledge, 
because  of  his  interest  in  the  results. 

The  paragraph  has  been  made  the  subject  of  special 
study ;  and  letter- writing,  the  making  of  reports,  memory 


Preface 


IX 


training,  the  use  of  reference  books,  telephone  conversa- 
tions, verse-making,  dramatization,  and  the  study  of 
literary  masterpieces  have  received  much  attention.  Pro- 
vision has  been  made  for  only  enough  technical  grammar 
to  furnish  a  touchstone  by  which  the  pupil  is  able  to  under- 
stand what  he  reads  and  to  correct  his  own  faulty  Jiabits 
of  speech. 

This  book  is  the  direct  outcome  of  five  years  of  experience 
in  the  teaching  and  supervision  of  English  by  the  project 
method.  Each  of  the  Undertakings  has  been  tested  many 
times  in  various  English  classes. 

M.  B.  F. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The  author  makes  grateful  acknowledgment  to  the 
following  publishers  and  authors  for  permission  to  use 
copyright  material:  to  Henry  Holcomb  Bennett  and  The 
Youth's  Companion  for  The  Flag  Goes  By;  to  Katharine 
Lee  Bates  and  T.  Y.  Crowell  Company  for  America  the 
Beautiful;  to  Samuel  Arthur  Derieux  and  The  American 
Magazine  for  the  excerpt  from  The  Smartest  Animals  We 
Know;  to  The  Macmillan  Company  for  selections  from 
American  History  for  Grammar  Schools  by  Marguerite 
Stockman  Dickson,  for  the  play  James  Wolfe  from  His- 
torical Plays  for  Children  by  Bird  and  Starling,  and  for 
the  letter  from  Charles  Kingsley;  to  The  Ladies'  Home 
Journal  for  the  editorial  The  Lip-Lazy  American;  to 
Joseph  C.  Lincoln  and  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  for  the 
extract  from  Shavings;  to  The  Review  of  Reviews 
Company  for  the  letter  from  Phillips  Brooks  to  Canon 
Farrar ;  and  to  various  individuals  and  historical  societies 
for  permission  to  use  hitherto  unpublished  letters. 

The  selection  by  Vice-President  Calvin  Coolidge  from 
Have  Faith  in  Massachusetts  and  the  description  of  the 
June  day  from  The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal  by  James  Russell 
Lowell  are  used  by  permission  of  and  by  special  arrange- 
ment with  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  the  authorized 
pubhshers  of  these  works.  The  author  is  similarly  in- 
debted  to   Rudyard   Kipling,  to  A.  P.  Watt  &  Son  of 


xii  Acknowledgments 

London,  and  to  Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.  for  //;  and  to 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons  for  America  for  Me  by  Henry  Van 
Dyke,  and  for  The  Griffin  and  the  Minor  Canon  by  Frank 
R.  Stockton. 

The  inaugural  address  of  President  A.  Lawrence  Lowell 
of  Harvard  University  is  reprinted  by  special  permission. 
Grateful  acknowledgment  is  also  due  Dr.  S.  J.  Slawson, 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  and 
Miss  Mary  Rosa  for  help  in  the  preparation  of  the  first 
draft  of  the  manuscript;  and  to  Dr.  Henry  P.  Emerson, 
author  of  Modern  English  and  English  Spoken  and  Written, 
for  careful  reading  of  the  manuscript  and  for  many  helpful 
suggestions. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Part  I.    Letter- Writing       .        .        .        .        .        .        .  i 

Friendly  letters 2 

Greetings 3 

Accompanying  gifts 5 

Travel  letters 6 

Thanks  for  gifts 7 

Invitations 8 

Thanks  to  hostess        .         .         .        .         .         .        .  9 

Letters  of  sympathy 10 

Business  letters  .         .        . 11 

Orders 14 

Receipts ,        .        .        •  15 

Complaints .        .        -15 

Adjustments 16 

Applications         . 16 

Answers  to  advertisements 17 

Letter  of  instructions 19 

Telegrams 21 

Fast  day  messages       ....        .        .        .22 

Day  letters  . 22 

Night  letters .        .23 

Cablegrams 23 

Part  II.    The  Making  of  Booklets 37 

The  individual  booklet 37 

The  class  booklet 51 

The  class  scrapbook 51 

The  class  anthology    .         .        .        .        ;        .        .        .51 

xiii 


xiv  Table  of  Contents 

PAGE 

Part  III.    Oral  and  Written  Reports       ....      53 

In  paragraph  form 53 

Reports  upon  public  utilities 53 

Reports  upon  city  governmert     .        .        .        .         .66 

In  outline  form -77 

Report  on  subjects  looked  up  in  reference  books  .       78 

Report  on  material  collected  for  a  biographical  sketch       79 

Report  on  material  collected  for  an  historical  sketch   .       81 

Part  IV.    The  Use  of  Reference  Books   .        .        .        .85 

Dictionary .        .       86 

Encyclopedia 89 

Table  of  contents 90 

Index 90 

General  magazine  index 90 

Gazetteer     ..........      90 

Atlas   .        .        .        .        . 91 

Card  catalogue 91 

Who's  Who 91 

Congressional  Directory 91 

Reference  almanac 92 

Part  V.    Posters  and  Charts 93 

Part  VI.    Class  Parliamentary  Usage       .        .        .        .108 

What  to  do 108 

How  to  do  it no 

Part  VII.    Notebooks 113 

Part  VIII.    The  Bulletin  Board        .        .        .        .        .     115 
Part  IX.    Oral  and  Written  Dramatization     .        .        .118 

Part  X.    Memory  Training 134 

Memory  contests 135 

Selections  to  be  memorized         .        .        .        .        .        .136 

Quotations 143 

Part  XL    Games  and  Contests 148 

Grammar  baseball 149 

Spelling  contests 158 

Paragraph  archery  contest 162 


Table  of  Contents  xv 


PAGE 


Essay  contest 167 

Prize  speaking  contest 167 

Debates 169 

American  authors 173 

Word  contests gg 

Booklet  contests 89 

Poster  contests .        .        .99 

Memory  contests 135 

Part  XII.    Telephone  Conversations         .        .        .        .177 

Part  XIII.    The  Short  Speech 183 

Speeches  for  various  occasions 184 

Speech  of  introduction 184 

Speech  of  presentation 185 

Speech  of  acceptance   .         .        .        .        .        .        .186 

Responses  to  toasts 186 

Announcements 188 

Speech  of  welcome 193 

Speech  of  farewell .194 

Part  XIV.    The  Class  Museum 199 

Part  XV.    Campaigns 205 

Public  health 206 

Protection  of  birds 208 

Thrift 209 

Safety  First 211 

Clean  Up 212 

Victory  drive  for  better  English 213 

Part  XVI.    Verse-Making 216 

Illustrated  booklet  of  rhymes 217 

Class  or  school  song 222 

Verses  for  special  occasions 222 

Part  XVII.    Dlaries 223 

Part  XVIII.    The  Class  Publication 227 

Preparation  of  manuscript 230 

Correction  of  proof .231 


xvi  Table  of  Contents 

PAGE 

News  stories 231 

The  school  print  shop 236 

Products  of  the  shop 236 

Activities  of  the  shop  .        .        .        .        .        .        .237 

Part  XIX.    The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece         .  240 

Evangeline 241 

Rip  Van  Winkle 244 

The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish 246 

The  Lady  of  the  Lake 249 


COMMUNITY  ENGLISH 


COMMUNITY  ENGLISH 


PART  I.    LETTER   WRITING 

What  do  you  think  is  the  value  of  learning  to  write  ? 
Only  a  few  of  you  will  ever  earn  your  living  by  writing 
stories  and  magazine  articles.  To  most  of  you  the  chief 
value  of  learning  to  express  yourself  well  on  paper  will 
be  to  enable  you  to  write  a  simple,  clear,  and  interesting 
letter.  In  fact,  all  of  us  —  whatever  our  age  or  position 
in  life  —  have  to  write  letters,  and  the  majority  of  us  never 
write  anything  else. 

How  many  letters  do  you  suppose  that  you  have  already 
written?  Probably  a  great  many.  Yet  you  may  be  sur- 
prised to  learn  that  four  million  letters  are  received  and 
delivered  every  day  in  the  New  York  City  post  office  alone, 
and  twelve  thousand  employees  are  required  to  handle  its 
fifteen  million  pieces  of  ordinary  mail.  These  stupendous 
figures  will  help  you  to  realize  how  great  a  part  the  writing 
of  letters  plays  m  American  life. 

As  you  grow  older  you  will  be  called  upon  to  write  letters 
more  and  more  frequently,  and  upon  the  character  of  these 
letters  many  of  the  important  interests  of  your  life  will 
depend.  Social  relations,  business  matters,  absence  from 
friends,  all  demand  that  letters  be  written  with  clearness, 
courtesy,  and  common  sense. 

In  Part  I  of  this  book  you  will  be  asked  to  collect  all  the 
correspondence  necessary  in  connection  with  a  long  journey 


}  °f  f    •  //v  .  Community  English 


to  a  place  you  really  wish  to  visit.  After  you  have  collected 
the  letters,  notes,  and  telegrams  you  are  to  arrange  them  in  a 
booklet.  Since  you  are  not  to  show  this  little  book  to  your 
teacher  until  it  is  finished  and  since  no  opportunity  wiil 
be  given  you  to  "do  it  over,"  you  will  wish  to  have  it  as 
nearly  correct  as  possible  before  you  hand  it  in.  For  this 
reason,  you  may  be  glad  to  read  over  the  following  sugges- 
tions and  letters  before  you  begin  to  plan  your  journey. 

Suggestions.  —  Read  the  following  suggestions  carefully ; 
they  may  help  you  to  write  correct  and  complete  letters. 

1.  Use  unhned  white  paper  and  black  ink. 

2.  Leave  a  one  inch  margin  at  the  left  of  your  paper. 

3.  Indent  the  first  line  of  each  paragraph. 

4.  Write  neatly,  carefully,  and  plainly.  Dot  your  I's 
and  cross  your  t's.  Avoid  making  such  a  remark  at  the 
end  of  your  letter  as  "  Excuse  this  scrawl." 

5.  Spell  correctly.  If  you  are  uncertain  about  the 
spelling  of  words,  consult  the  dictionary. 

6.  Punctuate  correctly. 

7.  Stick  to  the  point  in  business  letters.  Omit  un- 
necessary details. 

8.  In  going  from  page  to  page  of  your  paper,  follow 
the  regular  order ;  first,  second,  third,  etc. 

9.  Avoid  postscripts. 

10.  Read  over  your  letter  carefully  before  putting  it 
into  the  envelope. 

Personal  Letters 

Your  first  real  need  for  knowing  how  to  write  generally 
comes  when  you  write  to  your  family  or  friends.  Such 
messages  are  called  either  personal  letters  ox  friendly  letters. 


Letter  Writing  3 

Specimen  letters.  —  There  are  many  different  kinds  of 
personal  letters,  since  messages  to  friends  may  treat  of 
almost  any  subject.  Some  of  the  most  common  types  of 
personal  letters  are  given  in  this  chapter. 

A  Letter  of  Greeting  ^ 

Here  is  an  interesting  letter  from  a  great  American 
naturalist  and  author,  John  Burroughs.  Give  your 
reasons  for  believing  it  to  be  a  friendly  letter. 

West  Park,  New  York 
March  26,  1915 
Dear  Miss  Buchanan, 

A  good  many  schools  beside  yours  are  reminding  me  that  I 
am  to  have  a  birthday  on  April  third.  Of  course  it  is  a  pleasure 
for  me  to  be  remembered  by  so  many  young  people  and  I  wish 
I  could  say  something  to  them  all  that  would  keep  them  as  young 
as  I  am,  nearing  seventy-eight.  I  am  sure  I  could  lead  any  of 
them  up  any  mountain  in  this  state  this  side  of  the  Adirondacks 
and  feel  none  the  worse  for  it. 

The  secret  of  youth  in  old  age  is  temperance  in  all  things  and 
love  for  all  things  that  are  good  and  fair,  not  forgetting  your 
fellow  men.  If  I  had  used  tobacco  or  alcoholic  drinks  or  even 
tea  and  coffee,  I  am  sure  my  step  would  not  be  as  elastic  as  it 
is  now.  To  use  and  not  abuse  the  gift  of  life  is  the  great  secret. 
Good  luck  to  you  all. 

Very  sincerely, 

John  Burroughs 

As  you  read  over  the  above  letter  you  will  note  that  what 
it  says  is  of  even  greater  importance  than  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  said.     Unfortunately,  no  one  can  tell  you  what 
^  This  is  a  hitherto  unpublished  letter. 


4  Community  English 

to  say ;  that  must  grow  out  of  your  own  heart  and  mind. 
In  a  personal  letter,  however,  anything  that  interests  you 
is  likely  to  prove  of  interest  to  some  one  else.  A  chatty 
letter,  full  of  news,  is  almost  always  one  which  gives  pleas- 
ure. It  is,  therefore,  a  good  plan  when  writing  to  a  friend 
to  think  not  of  yourself  but  of  him.  What  you  do  —  at 
home,  at  school,  at  play  —  these  are  the  things  which  you 
know  most  about  and  which  will  prove  most  interesting 
to  your  friends.  What  can  you  learn  of  John  Burroughs' 
life  from  his  letter  ?  Did  he  write  about  things  which  espe- 
cially interested  him? 

A  Letter  of  Christmas  Greeting 

Letters  of  greeting  are  often  written  upon  special  occa- 
sions. Here  is  such  a  letter  from  the  great  American 
Bishop,  Phillips  Brooks,  to  the  noted  Enghsh  clergyman 
and  author,  Canon  Frederic  William  Farrar.  Observe 
how  natural  the  letter  is.  Can  you  not  imagine  that 
Bishop  Brooks  is  talking  instead  of  writing? 

233  Clarendon  Street,  Boston 
Tuesday,  December  13,  1892 
My  dear  Archdeacon, 

It  is  partly  that  I  want  to  send  you  Christmas  greeting,  and 
partly  that  I  need  your  sympathy  to-day  when  I  am  fifty-seven 
years  old — for  these  two  reasons  and  a  hundred  others  I  am  going 
to  fill  these  four  pages  with  talk  with  you  across  the  water. 

In  the  midst  of  a  thousand  useless  things  which  I  do  every 
day  there  is  always  coming  up  the  recollection  of  last  summer, 
and  how  good  you  were  to  me,  and  what  enjoyment  I  had  in 
those  delightful  idle  days.  Never  shall  I  cease  to  thank  you 
for  taking  me  to  Tennyson's,  and  letting  me  see  the  great  dear 


Letter  Writing  5 

man  again.  How  good  he  was  that  day!  Do  you  remember 
how  he  read  those  two  stanzas  about  *' Faith/'  which  he  had 
just  written  ?  I  can  hear  his  great  voice  booming  in  them  as  I 
read  them  over  in  the  new  volume  which  has  come  since  the 
poet  died.  .  .  .  And  Whittier,  too,  is  gone.  He  never  forgot 
the  visit  which  you  paid  him,  nor  ceased  to  speak  of  it  when- 
ever I  saw  him.  But  how  strange  it  seems,  this  writing  against 
one  friend's  name  after  another  that  you  will  see  his  face  no 
more.  I  pray  you  to  live,  for  to  come  to  London  and  not  see 
you  there  —  what  should  I  care  for  the  old  places,  St.  Margaret's, 
and  the  Abbey,  and  the  Dean's  Yard,  and  all  the  rest? 

I  hope  that  you  are  very  well  and  happy.  Do  not  let  the 
great  world  trouble  you,  but  be  sure  that  many  are  rejoicing  in 
your  brave  work. 

Oh,  that  you  were  here  to-night !  With  all  best  Christmas 
wishes  for  Mrs.  Farrar  and  you  and  your  children, 

I  am,  affectionately  your  friend, 

Phillips  Brooks 

Do  you  think  that  the  references  to  people  add  to  the 
attractiveness  of  this  letter?  Name  at  least  three  poems 
written  by  "  the  great  dear  man  "  mentioned  in  this  letter. 

A  Letter  Accompanying  a  Gift  ^ 
In  this  letter  written  by  the  beloved  poet,  Henry  W. 
Longfellow,  the  most  valuable  gifts  in  the  world  are  de- 
scribed.    What  are  they? 

Cambridge,  Massachusetts 
February  20,  1876 
Dear  Miss  Dalton, 

I  am  much  gratified  and  touched  by  your  kind  letter,  and 
hasten  to  say  how  much  pleasure  it  has  given  me. 
1  This  is  a  hitherto  unpublished  letter. 


6  Community  English 

I  do  not  imagine  that  any  writer  can  be  indifferent  to  the  im- 
pression his  writings  produce  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  his 
readers.  Certainly  I  am  not.  It  always  makes  me  happy  to 
know  that  any  words  of  mine  have  given  pleasure  and  comfort 
to  any  one ;  and  I  thank  you  for  saying  that  you  have  found 
pleasure  and  comfort  in  them. 

My  publisher  has  taken  a  fancy  to  issue  a  series  of  very  small 
volumes,  one  of  which  I  send  you  by  this  post.  It  is  a  mere 
trifle ;  but  I  hope  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  accept  it,  with  my 
kind  regards  and  good  wishes.  I  sometimes  think  that  gifts 
of  no  value  are  the  most  valuable.  They  show  the  good  will 
of  the  giver,  which  is  always  the  best  part  of  any  gift. 

When  you  see  the  tiny  book  you  will  smile  at  this  long  preface 
to  it! 

With  kind  regards, 

Yours  very  truly, 

H.  W.  Longfellow 

What  was  Mr.  Longfellow's  attitude  toward  Miss  Dal  ton? 
What  can  you  learn  about  the  author  through  his  discussion 
of  gifts  and  their  value?  How  many  different  parts  are 
there  in  this  letter  ? 

A  Travel  Letter 

In  this  delightful  letter  from  Charles  Kingsley  to  his 
young  son,  the  author  of  Water  Babies  and  Westward  Ho! 
thought  not  of  himself  but  of  his  little  boy.  Why  do  you 
think  this  letter  would  interest  a  young  child? 

Pau 
My  dear  little  Man, 

I  was  quite  dehghted  to  get  a  letter  from  you  so  nicely  written. 
Yesterday  I  went  by  the  railway  to  a  most  beautiful  place  where 


.    Letter  Writing  7 

I  am  staying  now.  A  town  with  an  old  castle,  hundreds  of 
years  old,  where  the  great  King  Henry  the  Fourth  of  France  was 
born,  and  his  cradle  is  still  there,  made  of  tortoise-shell.  Under- 
neath the  castle  are  beautiful  walks  and  woods  —  all  green  as 
if  it  were  summer,  and  roses  and  flowers,  and  birds  singing  — 
but  different  from  our  English  birds.  But  it  is  quite  summer 
here  because  it  is  so  far  south.  Under  the  castle,  by  the  river, 
are  frogs  that  make  a  noise  like  a  rattle,  and  frogs  that  bark 
like  toy-dogs,  and  frogs  that  cUmb  up  trees,  and  even  up  the 
window-panes  —  they  have  suckers  on  their  feet  and  are  quite 
green  like  a  leaf.  Far  away,  before  the  castle,  are  the  great 
mountains,  ten  thousand  feet  high,  covered  with  snow,  and  the 
clouds  crawling  about  their  tops.  I  am  going  to  see  them  to- 
morrow, and  when  I  come  back  I  will  tell  you.  But  I  have 
been  out  to-night,  and  all  the  frogs  are  croaking  still  and  making 
a  horrid  noise.  Mind  and  be  a  good  boy  and  give  nurse  my 
love.  There  is  a  vulture  here  in  the  inn,  but  he  is  a  Httle 
Egyptian  vulture,  not  like  the  great  vulture  I  saw  at  Bayonne. 
Ask  mother  to  show  you  his  picture  in  the  beginning  of  the  bird 
book.  He  is  called  Neophia  Egyptiacus,  and  is  an  ugly  fellow, 
who  eats  dead  horses  and  sheep.     There  is  his  picture. 

Your  own  daddy, 

C.  Kingsley 

Where  is  Pau  ?     What  mountains  could  be  seen  from  the 

castle?     Why  was  the  weather  in  Pau  warmer  than  that 

in  England? 

Letter  of  Thanks  ^ 

John  Greenleaf  Whittier,  the  Quaker  poet,  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  a  young  girl  who  had  thanked  him  for 
the  pleasure  which  his  poems  had  given  her.  Account,  if 
you  can,  for  the  great  charm  of  this  letter. 

1  This  is  a  hitherto  unpublished  letter. 


8  Community  English 

Amesbury,  Massachusetts 
I  Month  5,  1876 
My  dear  friend, 

For  so,  judging  by  thy  letter,  I  may  call  thee,  I  am  heartily 
glad  that  any  words  of  mine  have  been  blessed  to  the  comforting 
of  thyself  and  thy  father.  It  is  a  great  happiness  to  feel  that 
I  have  not  written  altogether  in  vain. 

Thou  art  quite  right  in  thinking  that  I  should  have  gladly 
welcomed  thee  had  thy  steps  been  led  to  this  region.  Happy 
would  I  be  if  I  had,  Uke  thy  father,  a  loving  daughter.  But  it  is 
providentially  otherwise,  and  I  have  many  blessings  to  be  thank- 
ful for.  Dear  friends  send  me  their  messages  of  love,  almost 
with  every  mail,  and  although  in  impaired  health,  I  am  happier 
than  I  deserve  to  be. 

Accept  my  thanks  for  thy  kind  letter,  and  my  best  wishes  for 
thy  happiness,  here  and  hereafter,  and  believe  me  truly  and 
sincerely  thy  friend, 

John  G.  Whittier 

How  did  Mr.  Whittier^s  method  of  dating  a  letter  differ 
from  the  modern  method  of  writing  the  date?  In  what 
month  did  he  write  the  letter?  What  does  this  letter  tell 
you  of  the  poet's  love  for  children?  What  are  four  of  his 
best  known  poems? 


A  Letter  of  Invitation  ^ 

This  letter  by  the  author  of  Thanatopsis  and  many  other 
poems,  was  written  to  an  old  friend.  Do  you  think  the 
writer  really  wished  to  see  his  friend? 

^  This  is  a  hitherto  unpublished  letter. 


Letter  Writing  9 

New  York 
January  28,  1876 
My  dear  friend, 

New  York  is  pleasanter  than  usual  this  winter.  We  have  had 
no  snow  and  no  ice  in  the  streets,  and  a  good  many  sunshiny 
days.  Now  that  the  days  are  growing  longer  and  —  I  was  going 
to  say  that  there  is  a  chance  that  the  streets  may  continue  free 
from  ice  and  snow  —  but  who  can  tell  ?  —  will  you  not  be 
tempted  to  come  to  New  York  and  bring  your  better  half? 
You  shall  have  your  old  quarters  in  this  house,  and  take  your 
cigar  when  in  the  humor  without  being  in  anybody's  way,  and 
we  will  talk  over  Lucretius  when  you  have  nobody  else  to  talk 
to,  or  are  not  running  about  town  after  your  old  friends,  who 
will  be  for  tearing  you  in  pieces  when  you  come,  as  they  always 
are. 

Yours  very  truly, 

William  Cullen  Bryant 

How  does  the  phrase  used  in  the  complimentary  ending 
of  this  letter  differ  from  the  complimentary  endings  of  the 
preceding  letters?  In  what  way  was  New  York  unusually 
pleasant  during  the  winter  of  1876? 


A  Letter  of  Thanks  to  a  Hostess 

After  visiting  at  any  one's  home  it  is  customary  to  write 
a  cordial  note  or  letter  of  thanks  to  the  hostess.  Such  a 
letter  is  frequently  referred  to  as  a  bread  and  butter  letter 
and  should  be  written  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  visit  is 
over.  The  following  letter  was  written  by  a  young  man 
to  his  cousin. 


lo  Community  English 

New  York  City 

September  30,  1920 
My  dear  Cousin, 

I  have  waited  a  disgracefully  long  time,  I  know,  before  writing 
to  tell  you  what  a  bright  spot  in  a  dull  and  humdrum  existence 
that  week  was  that  I  spent  at  your  dehghtful  place  by  the  sea- 
shore. The  work  that  piled  up  at  the  office  while  I  was  playing 
in  the  sand  and  boating  on  the  lagoon  has,  I  am  afraid,  made 
me  seem  forgetful  of  your  many  kindnesses.  Yet  I  am  not 
afraid  of  seeming  ungrateful,  for  I  know  that  you  are  one  of 
those  friendly  souls  with  whom  I  can  begin  where  I  left  off  in 
either  a  letter  or  a  visit. 

When  next  summer  comes  around,  and  you  invite  me  out 
there  again  (as  you  always  have  and  I  hope  always  will), 
I  can  tell  you  about  the  many  interesting  affairs  of  the  office  and 
the  city.  Yet  I  probably  shan't,  at  that,  for  I  am  sure  that 
once  again  the  noisy  haunts  of  men  will  seem  remote  and  un- 
important, and  the  only  questions  that  will  interest  us  will  be 
when  the  tide  is  high  and  what  are  the  prospects  of  a  favoring 

Cordially  and  gratefully  yours, 

Fred 

Why  do  you  think  the  hostess  would  be  glad  to  receive 
such  a  letter?  In  what  way  did  Fred  indicate  that  he  had 
had  a  delightful  visit? 

A  Letter  of  Sympathy 

You  may  be  interested  to  know  what  Colonel  Theodore 
Roosevelt  said  of  the  following  letter.  "  The  mother  of 
whom  Lincoln  wrote  stood  in  one  sense  on  a  loftier  plane 
of  patriotism  than  the  mighty  President  himself.  Her 
memory,  and  the  memory  of  her  sons  whom  she  bore  for  the 
Union,  should  be  kept  green  in  our  minds;   for  she  and 


Letter  Writing  II 

they  in  life  and  death,  typified  all  that  is  best  and  highest 
in  our  national  existence.  The  deed  itself,  and  the  words 
of  the  great  man  which  commemorate  that  deed,  should 
form  one  of  those  heritages  for  all  Americans  which  it  is  of 
inestimable  consequence  that  America  should  possess." 

Executive  Mansion 
Washington,  Nov.  21,  1864 
To  Mrs.  Bixby,  Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Madam :  I  have  been  shown  in  the  files  of  the  War  De- 
partment a  statement  of  the  Adjutant  General  of  Massachusetts, 
that  you  are  the  mother  of  five  sons  who  have  died  gloriously 
on  the  field  of  battle.  I  feel  how  weak  and  fruitless  must  be 
any  word  of  mine  which  should  attempt  to  beguile  you  from 
the  grief  of  a  loss  so  overwhelming.  But  I  cannot  refrain  from 
tendering  to  you  the  consolation  that  may  be  found  in  the 
thanks  of  the  Republic  they  died  to  save.  I  pray  that  our 
Heavenly  Father  may  assuage  the  anguish  of  your  bereave- 
ment, and  leave  you  only  the  cherished  memory  of  the  loved 
and  lost,  and  the  solemn  pride  that  must  be  yours  to  have  laid 
so  costly  a  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  freedom. 

Yours  very  sincerely  and  respectfully, 

A.  Lincoln 

Give  your  reasons  for  believing  that  this  is  a  friendly  or 
personal  letter,  although  President  Lincoln  did  not  know 
Mrs.  Bixby. 

Business  Letters 

You  will  remember  that  in  personal  letters  considerable 
attention  is  paid  to  the  form  in  which  the  message  is  written. 
Business  letters  need  to  be  worded  even  more  carefully 
than  letters  written  to  relatives  and  friends,  because  greater 
interests  are  usually  at  stake.    Here  the  "  three  C's  ''  — 


12 


Community  English 


clearness,  courtesy,  and  common  sense,  are  of  vital  impor- 
tance. Carelessness  in  the  matter  of  form  produces  an 
unfavorable  impression.  Custom  sanctions  several  forms 
of  business  letters,  any  one  of  which  is  correct.  The 
following  diagram  sets  forth  one  of  these  permitted  forms : 


Address 


Greeting 
or  Salu- 
tation 


67  Adams  Street 

Ida  Parkway,  Georgia 
December  10,  1920 
Mr.  John  Brown 
29  Otis  Road 
Warren,  Ohio 

Dear  Sir : 


Very  truly  youis, 


Heading 


Body  of 
Letter 


Compli- 
mentary 
Ending 

Signa- 
ture 


The  superscription.  —  The  address  on  the  envelope,  or 
the  superscription,  is  written  in  the  same  way  as  the  address 
found  within  the  letter.  The  name  of  the  writer  ought  also 
to  be  indicated.  It  is  generally  written  in  the  upper  left- 
hand  corner  of  the  envelope.  At  the  New  York  City  post 
office  last  year  there  were  9,696,243  dead  letters,  and  79,000 


Letter  Writing  1 3 

parcels  without  any  address  whatever.  Not  one  of  these 
pieces  of  mail  bore  the  address  of  the  sender.  More- 
over, to  trace  and  correct  addresses  on  misdirected  mail  in 
New  York  City  alone,  the  Government  spent  $100,000.00. 
The  postmaster  of  that  city  says,  "  Thousands  of  errors 
could  be  avoided  if  people  would  address  their  letters  with 
the  name  of  the  town  and  state  as  well  as  the  name  of  the 
addressee  Written  Out  in  Full."  The  street  and 
number  should  also  be  placed  on  each  letter,  as  indicated 
by  the  following  examples : 


Ketnrn  after  Fiye  Days  to 

THE  YOUTH'S  COMPANION 

Boston,  Massachusetts 


Miss  Helen  Merrill 
54  Oak  Road 
Buffalo,  New  York 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 

'luntingrton  Chambers,  Copley  Square 

Boston  17,  Mass. 

Mr 

.  John  Brown 

29  Otisville 

Road 

Cleveland 

' 

Ohio 

14  Community  English 

Does  the  first  line  of  the  address  come  above  or  below 
the  middle  of  the  envelope?  Is  the  address  centered  on 
the  envelope  or  is  it  written  at  one  side?  Why  is  there  a 
comma  after  the  word  Buffalo  on  the  first  envelope  but  no 
comma  after  the  word  Cleveland  on  the  second  envelope  ? 

Specimen  letters.  —  Read  over  the  following  business 
letters  and  note  carefully  these  points : 

1.  Are  the  letters  clear? 

2.  Is  the  entire  heading  written  upon  a  single  line  in  any 
of  the  letters? 

3.  Is  the  appearance  of  the  letter  improved  by  making 
the  right  and  left  hand  margins  nearly  equal? 

4.  Is  it  customary  to  leave  as  much  white  space  below 
the  letter  as  at  the  sides? 

5.  Are  all  paragraphs  in  a  letter  indented  the  same 
distance  from  the  margin? 

6.  When  a  letter  of  complaint  is  received  why  is  it  good 
business  to  send  a  courteous  letter  of  adjustment  in  reply? 

An  Order 

54  Oak  Road 
Buffalo,  New  York 

October  20,  1920 
The  Youth's  Companion 
881  Commonwealth  Avenue 
Boston,  Massachusetts 
Dear  Sirs : 

Please  send  the  "Youth's  Companion"  to  me  for  one  year, 
beginning  with  the  January  numbers.  I  am  inclosing  a  postal 
money  order  to  pay  for  my  subscription. 

Very  truly  yours, 

(Miss)  Helen  Merrill 


Letter  Writing  15 


A  Receipt 

ANIO] 

isetts 

November  16,  1920 


THE  YOUTH'S  COMPANION 
Bogton,  Massachusetts 


Miss  Helen  Merrill 
54  Oak  Road 
Buffalo,  New  York 
Dear  Madam : 

Your  letter,  inclosing  postal  money  order  for  subscription  to 
"The  Youth's  Companion"  for  one  year,  has  been  received. 
If  you  do  not  receive  your  first  copy  promptly,  kindly  inform 
us  of  the  fact. 

Very  truly  yours, 

The  Youth's  Companion 

A  Letter  of  Complaint  or  Claim  Letter 

54  Oak  Road 

Buffalo,  New  York 
January  22,  1921 
The  Youth's  Companion 
881  Commonwealth  Avenue 
Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Sirs : 

Before  me  is  a  letter  dated  November  sixteenth,  in  which  you 
state  that  a  postal  money  order  to  cover  my  subscription  to 
your  magazine  for  one  year  has  been  received.  As  yet,  how- 
ever, I  have  not  received  my  first  copy. 

Will  you  kindly  consult  your  records  to  see  if  some  mistake 
has  been  made  in  entering  my  subscription  ? 

Very  truly  yours, 

(Miss)  Helen  Merrill 


1 6  Community  English 


A  Letter  of  Adjustment 

THE  YOUTH'S  COMPANION 
Boston,  Massachusetts 

January  24,  192 1 
Miss  Helen  Merrill 
54  Oak  Road 

Buffalo,  New  York 

Dear  Miss  Merrill : 

We  regret  that  you  have  not  received  any  of  the  January 
numbers  of  the  "Youth's  Companion,''  and  we  thank  you  for 
calling  our  attention  to  the  matter. 

We  have  consulted  our  files  and  find  that  your  order  was 
promptly  entered,  but  because  of  an  unusual  error  in  our  mailing 
department  the  magazine  was  sent  to  the  wrong  address.  We 
have  ordered,  therefore,  other  copies  forwarded  to  you  with- 
out delay.  If  they  do  not  reach  you  promptly  we  shall  be 
glad  to  hear  from  you. 

Very  truly  yours. 

The  Youth's  Companion 
DJY/NP 


Two  Letters  of  Application 

In  a  letter  of  application  the  writer  tries  to  sell  his 
services.  If  the  letter  is  in  proper  form,  neat  in  appear- 
ance, correct  in  grammar,  punctuation  and  spelling,  it  is 
likely  to  receive  attention.  But  if  a  personal  interview  is 
to  follow  the  letter,  the  application  itself  may  sometimes 
be  written  in  briefest  outline.  Study  carefully  the  follow- 
ing letter : 


Letter  Writing  17 

1 148  Tremont  Street 
Boston,  Mass. 
June  19,  1920 


L.  P.  HOLLANDER  86  CO. 

WANTED 

GOOD   BRIGHT  BOY 

STEADY  POSITION 
Apply  by  letter  to 

Mr.  Penny,  48  Park  Square. 


Mr.  Penny 
48  Park  Square 
Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Sir : 

In  reply  to  the  above  advertisement  from  last  night's  Tran- 
script, I  submit  the  following  statement  concerning  my  qualifica- 
tions for  the  job  you  offer. 

If  you  care  to  see  me,  I  am  at  liberty  to  call  at  the  store  at  the 
time  most  convenient  to  you. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Harold  Ditton 
Statement  of  QuaHfications : 

Age . Seventeen 

Nationality American 

Appearance Height  —  five  feet  ten 

Weight  —  one  hundred  forty 

Education Newton  Grammar  School  graduate 

Now  a  Junior  in  East  High  School 

Experience Assistant  Shipping  Clerk  for  Jones  Brothers 

during  two  summer  vacations 

References Mr.  A.  X.  Jacobs 

Principal  of  East  High  School 
Mr.  James  Jones 
no  Boylston  Street 


l8  Community  English 

Sometimes  it  is  advisable  to  give  in  your  first  letter  of 
application  all  the  information  which  may  influence  the 
employer  in  your  favor.  Why  do  you  think  the  girl  who 
wrote  the  following  letter  obtained  a  position? 

279  Victoria  Circle 
Wayborne,  Michigan 
October  12,  1920 
Sales  Manager 
The  Mack  Company 
96  Third  Avenue 

San  Francisco,  California 
My  dear  Sir : 

My  aunt,  Mrs.  Donald  Darby  of  Los  Angeles,  has  suggested 
that  there  may  possibly  be  an  opening  in  your  store  for  a  girl 
of  seventeen,  and  has  promised  to  write  to  you  in  my  behalf. 

I  am  intensely  interested  in  salesmanship,  and  the  selling  of 
school  books  or  other  school  supplies  appeals  to  me  particularly. 
I  have  a  good  background  for  such  work,  having  been  brought 
up  in  an  educational  atmosphere.  My  father  was  a  superin- 
tendent of  schools  for  many  years  and  my  mother  was  formerly 
a  teacher.  Consequently  I  believe  that  if  I  were  given  a  chance 
to  clerk  in  the  book  department  of  your  store,  I  should  be  suc- 
cessful. 

I  was  graduated  from  the  Emerson  Junior  High  School  of  this 
city  with  the  class  of  nineteen  hundred  twenty,  and  for  two 
summers  I  have  been  assistant  clerk  in  the  Sterling  Book  Shop 
here. 

Mother's  health  is  faiUng  rapidly  and  the  doctor  recommends 
a  change  of  climate  at  once.  We  are  planning  to  spend  the  com- 
ing winter  in  San  Francisco,  and  I  can  not  help  feeling  that  while 
there  I  ought  to  be  at  work. 

It  has  occurred  to  me  that  a  position  in  your  store  would  be 


Letter  Writing  19 

especially  congenial  to  me,  so  I  shall  appreciate  very  much  any 
information  you  may  be  able  to  give  me  regarding  the  possi- 
bility of  your  employing  me  in  your  book  department  or,  in 
fact,  in  any  other  department  in  your  store. 

Very  truly  yours, 

(Miss)  Evelyn  Phillips 

A  Letter  of  Instnictions  ^ 

The  letter  written  by  a  business  man  to-day  is  quite 
different  from  the  business  letter  of  George  Washington's 
time.  In  what  ways  is  the  following  letter  unlike  a  modern 
business  letter? 

Head  Quarters 
26  th  July  1780 
Sir: 

I  have  been  honored  with  your  favor  of  the  15th. 

The  particular  and  spirited  exertions  of  the  State  of  New 
Hampshire  to  fuliSl  the  objects  which  we  have  in  view  cannot 
but  meet  the  warmest  applause  of  every  lover  of  his  country. 
It  has  mine  in  a  very  high  degree,  but  not  more  than  it  has 
deserved. 

I  could  wish  the  loan  of  powder  to  be  forwarded  as  soon  as 
practicable  to  Springfield,  and  lodged  there  in  the  pubHc  maga- 
zine. With  regard  to  the  supplies  of  cattle,  the  bearer  of  this 
carries  full  instructions  from  the  commissary  of  purchases  for 
their  disposal. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  with  great  respect,  Sir, 

Your  most  obt.  and  h'ble  servt 

George  Washington 
H'n'ble  Meshech  Weare  Esq. 

*  The  examples  given  are  hitherto  unpublished  letters. 


20  Community  English 

A  Report 
Business  houses  frequently  ask  their  men  to  make  brief 
reports  in  the  form  of  letters.     Here  is  such  a  report  written 
by  Benjamin  Franklin  in  1873.     Is  it  clear? 

Passy,  March  7,  1783 
Dear  Sir: 

With  this  I  send  you  a  Copy  of  the  last  Contract  I  made  with 
this  Court  respecting  the  late  Loan  of  Six  Millions,  the  Terms 
of  the  Loan  and  the  Time  of  Repayment.  It  was  impossible 
for  me  to  obtain  more,  and  indeed,  considering  the  State  of 
Finances  and  Expenses  here,  I  wonder  I  have  obtained  so  much. 
You  will  see  by  the  inclosed  Gazette,  that  the  Government  is 
obliged  to  stop  Payment  for  a  year  of  its  own  Bills  of  Exchange 
Drawn  in  America  and  the  East  Indies;  yet  it  has  advanced 
Six  Millions  to  save  the  Credit  of  ours.  You  will  I  am  sure  do 
all  in  your  Power  to  avoid  drawing  beyond  your  funds  here  for 
I  am  absolutely  assured  that  no  further  Aid  for  this  Year  is  to  be 
expected,  and  it  will  not  be  strange  that  they  should  suffer 
your  Bills  to  take  the  same  State  with  their  own.  You  will  also 
see  in  the  Contract  fresh  marks  of  the  King's  Goodness  towards 
us  in  giving  so  long  a  Time  for  Payment,  and  forgiving  the  first 
Year's  Interest.  I  hope  the  Ravings  of  a  certain  mischevouse 
Madman  against  France  and  its  Ministers,  which  I  hear  of 
every  Day,  will  not  be  regarded  in  America,  so  as  to  diminish 
in  the  least  the  happy  Union  that  has  hitherto  subsisted  be- 
tween the  two  Nations ;  and  which  is  indeed  the  solid  Founda- 
tion of  our  present  Importance  in  Europe.  With  great  Esteem, 
I  am  ever 

Dear  Sir 

Your  most  obedient 

and  most  humble  Servant 

Benjamin  Franklin 
Honble  R.  Morris  Esq. 


Letter  Writing 


21 


The  Telegram 

The  telegram  is  similar  in  form  to  a  letter,  but  it  is  for- 
warded with  greater  rapidity.  Those  of  you  whose  fathers 
are  not  closely  connected  with  business  houses  may  think 
that  telegrams  are  used  only  in  case  of  important  emer- 
gencies. This  is  not  the  case.  Telegrams  are  in  daily 
use  because  they  help  to  hurry  along  the  world's  business. 
Their  chief  drawback  is  their  expense,  and  for  this  reason 
the  message  must  be  condensed  so  as  to  cost  as  little  as 
possible.  Care  must  be  taken,  however,  in  spite  of  the 
need  for  brevity,  that  the  message  be  clear.  Here  are 
three  suggestions  which  may  help  you  to  write  brief,  clear 
messages.  Omit  the  words  the  and  and.  Do  not  attempt 
to  write  complete  sentences.  Use  the  word  period  to 
indicate  the  end  of  sentences,  if  the  meaning  is  not  clear 
without  such  punctuation. 

The  cost  of  the  message  depends  upon  the  number  of 
words  used,  upon  the  distance  to  which  it  is  sent,  and  upon 
the  class  of  service  desired.  Since  there  are  four  different 
kinds  of  service,  the  sender  is  asked  to  mark  an  X  in  the  little 
square  opposite  the  class  of  service  desired.  Such  a  square 
from  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  blank  looks  Uke  this ; 


CLASS  OP  SERVICE  DESIRED 

Telegram 

Day  Letter 

Night  Message 

Night  Letter 

Patrons  should  mark  an  X  opposite 
the  class  of  service  desired . 
OTHERWISE     THE     MESSAGE 
WILL  BE  TRANSMITTED  AS  A 
FULL-RATE  TELEGRAM 

22  Community  English 

Select  one  of  your  classmates  to  obtain  specimens  of 
telegraph  blanks  for  your  class.  The  Western  Union  or 
The  Postal  Telegraph  will  gladly  furnish  blanks  for  fast 
day  messages,  for  day  letters,  for  night  messages,  and  for 
night  letters.  Read  the  following  models  and  answer  the 
questions  following  each  model. 

Fast  Day  Message 

CHICAGO  ILLINOIS 
JAMES  A  TUTTLE  APRIL  7  1920 

46  EAST  GENESEE  STREET 
AUBURN  FLORIDA 
COME  AT  ONCE  MOTHER  VERY  ILL  WIRE  TIME  OF 
ARRIVAL  jQjjj^  MANCHESTER 

Is  the  word  period  necessary  in  this  message  to  make  the 
meaning  clear  ?  Is  any  charge  made  for  sending  the  name 
and  address  of  the  writer?  What  is  the  rate  for  a  fast  day 
message  to  be  sent  to  a  place  within  a  short  radius  of  your 
city? 

Day  Letter 

MR  R  H  ALVORD  MILWAUKEE  WIS  AUG  8  19.0 

16  GRAND  STREET 
GRAND  RAPIDS  WIS 
WILL  YOU  FAVOR  US  WITH  YOUR  ORDER  FOR  LAW 
SUPPLEMENTS  WE  HAVE  MADE  YOU  QUOTATIONS 
WHICH  WE  ARE  CERTAIN  ARE  AS  LOW  AS  ANY  YOU 
WILL  RECEIVE  PERIOD  WE  WILL  GIVE  PROMPT 
SERVICE  AND  WILL  APPRECIATE  YOUR  BUSINESS 
PERIOD  PLEASE  ADVISE  US  IF  ORDER  IS  COMING 

SMITH  AND  BROWN 


Letter  Writing  23 

What  is  the  rate  for  sending  day  letters  ?  May  more  than 
fifty  words  be  sent  at  this  rate?  Since  day  letters  are 
sent  as  deferred  service,  what  advantage  is  there  in  sending 
a  day  letter  instead  of  a  fast  day  message? 

Night  Letter 

OGDEN  UTAH  JUNE  5  1920 
DONALD  AND  BARTLETT 

RED  OAK  IOWA 
CAN  WE  BE  OF  SERVICE  TO  YOU  BY  SHIPPING  SHOES 
TOMORROW  LAST  DAY  BEFORE  ADVANCE  SHOES  ARE 
NOW  PACKED  FOR  IMMEDIATE  SHIPMENT  PERIOD 
WIRE  ORDER  OUR  EXPENSE 

JENNINGS  AND  SON 

What  is  the  difference  in  cost  of  a  fifty  word  day  letter 
and  a  fifty  word  night  letter?  Which  is  sent  the  more 
quickly,  a  day  letter  or  a  night  letter?  May  night  letters 
be  sent  in  code  or  must  they  be  in  plain  English  ? 

Cablegram 

The  following  cablegram  was  sent  by  Queen  Victoria  to  the 
great  explorer  Henry  M.  Stanley  on  the  completion  of  his 
famous  journey  across  Africa. 

WINDSOR  DEC  10  1889 
STANLEY  ZANZIBAR 

MY  THOUGHTS  ARE  OFTEN  WITH  YOU  AND  YOUR 
BRAVE  FOLLOWERS  WHOSE  DANGERS  AND  HARD- 
SHIPS ARE  NOW  AT  AN  END  ONCE  MORE  I  HEARTILY 
CONGRATULATE  YOU  ALL 

V.  R. 


24  Community  English 

What  does  V.R.  stand  for?  Are  the  address  and  the 
signature  counted  in  addition  to  the  words  of  the  message? 

Now  that  you  have  studied  in  some  detail  the  different 
forms  of  letter  writing,  you  are  ready  for  your  first 

UNDERTAKING, 

To  make  an  illustrated  booklet  containing  all  the 
correspondence  necessary  in  connection  with  a  long 
journey.  You  may  choose,  for  example,  a  trip  to  the 
home  of  Evangeline,  Miles  Standish,  Washington  Ir- 
ving, Theodore  Roosevelt,  Bret  Harte,  Mark  Twain, 
Booth  Tarkington;  or  to  Niagara  Falls,  Palm  Beach, 
New  York  City,  San  Francisco,  or  Alaska. 

Instructions.  — 

1.  Consult  maps,  railway  time-tables,  ticket  agents, 
steamship  folders,  geographies,  and  histories,  as  well  as 
your  teacher,  when  making  the  plans  for  your  trip. 

2.  Make  a  booklet  of  any  plain,  heavy  paper.  Bind  it 
securely  and  decorate  the  cover.  Special  directions  for 
booklet  making  will  be  found  at  the  beginning  of  Part  II 
of  this  book. 

3.  Include  in  this  booklet  each  of  the  exercises  called 
for  by  your  Undertaking. 

4.  Use  telegraph  blanks,  postal  money  order  forms,  and 
pictures  cut  from  magazines  or  original  sketches  to  help 
make  this  imaginary  journey  seem  as  real  as  possible. 

5.  At  the  end  of  the  time  set  by  your  teacher  for  the 
completion  of  this  Undertaking,  hand  in  your  booklet,  but 
do  not  show  it  to  any  one  until  it  is  finished. 


Letter  Writing  25 

6.  Remember  to  make  your  exercises  as  nearly  correct 
and  complete  as  possible  the  first  time.  There  will  be  no 
opportunity  to  "do  them  over." 

7.  If  you  wish,  you  may  ask  your  teacher  to  make  this 
a  Booklet  contest. 

Items  to  be  included.  —  As  you  work  out  your  Under- 
taking, plan  to  enter  in  your  booklet  the  following  exercises : 

1.  Write  a  letter  and  send  it  to  a  railroad  or  steamship 
company  asking  for  time-tables  and  folders  which  will  help 
you  in  planning  your  imaginary  trip.  You  will  find  many 
such  folders  advertised  in  the  daily  papers  and  in  maga- 
zines.    Enter  a  copy  of  your  letter  in  your  booklet. 

2.  If  you  receive  an  answer  to  your  request,  you  may 
also  enter  that  in  your  booklet. 

3.  Write  again  to  the  railroad  or  steamship  company 
(this  letter  you  will  not  send)  making  the  necessary  reser- 
vations. Mention  time  of  departure  of  train  or  ship.  In- 
close a  check  to  cover  cost  of  ticket. 

4.  Write  to  the  William  Hengerer  Company,  Buffalo, 
New  York,  ordering  a  brown  leather  suit  case  —  catalogue 
number  18,956,  price  $12.00.  Mention  postal  money  order 
inclosed  in  payment. 

5.  Although  a  suit  case  from  the  Hengerer  Company 
reaches  you  safely,  it  is  not  the  case  you  ordered.  Write 
a  letter  of  complaint  to  the  company  asking  them  to  correct 
their  error. 

6.  Write  the  Hengerer  Company's  letter  of  adjustment 
to  you. 

7.  When  you  checked  your  baggage  at  the  home  station 
you  were  in  such  haste  to  catch  the  train  that  you  left  your 


26  Community  English 

pocketbook  lying  on  the  baggage  agent's  desk.  As  soon 
as  you  discover  your  loss,  telegraph  the  baggage  agent, 
describing  the  purse  and  asking  that  he  forward  it  to 
you. 

8.  On  the  way  you  miss  train  connections  and  are  forced 
to  spend  the  night  with  an  old  friend.  Telegraph  the 
people  who  expected  to  meet  you.  State  what  caused  the 
delay,  where  you  are,  and  when  you  expect  to  reach  your 
destination. 

9.  The  next  morning  you  again  start  on  your  journey. 
Write  your  friend's  mother  a  note  of  thanks  for  her  hos- 
pitality. Tell  her  how  much  you  appreciate  her  kindness 
to  you  and  mention  some  of  the  incidents  of  your  journey. 

10.  Finally  you  reach  your  destination  only  to  discover 
that  somewhere  between  the  station  and  your  hotel  you  have 
lost  your  suit  case.  Write  an  advertisement  for  the  "  Lost 
and  Found  "  column  of  one  of  the  local  papers.  Describe 
your  case  and  mention  a  reward. 

11.  After  you  have  spent  a  week  in  sight-seeing,  write  a 
travel  letter  to  your  mother  or  chum 

a.  telling  her  incidents  of  your  journey  and  arrival, 
h.  describing  the  landscape,  the  houses,  and  the  people, 
c,  discussing  what  has  interested  you  most  because  of 
its  unusualness. 

12.  Send  a  night  letter  to  your  father  telling  him  when 
you  expect  to  reach  home. 

13.  After  arriving  home  and  telling  your  relatives  and 
friends  about  your  trip,  you  decide  to  go  to  work.  Write 
a  letter  applying  for  a  position  as  office  helper,  clerk, 
mother's  helper,  or  whatever  you  choose.  Mention  your 
age,  education,  references,  and  experience,  if  any. 


Letter  Writing  27 

SIMILAR  UNDERTAKINGS 

I.  Imagine  that  you  are  the  business  manager  of  the  foot- 
ball team.  In  an  illustrated  booklet,  arrange  all  the  corre- 
spondence necessary  in  connection  with  booking  and  playing 
the  Thanksgiving  game  with  a  rival  team  from  out  of  town. 
For  the  word  ^^  football  "  you  may  substitute,  if  you  wish,  the 
word  "  baseball  "  or  "  basketball  "  or  ^^ debate.'" 

1 .  Write  a  letter  to  the  manager  of  the  other  team  trying 
to  arrange  the  game. 

2.  Write  his  answer  to  you. 

3.  Telegraph  for  train  reservations  for  your  team. 

4.  Write  to  the  hotel  for  accommodations  for  the  night 
of  the  game.  ,  t 

5.  Write  a  letter  of  complaint  to  the  manager  of  the  rival 
team  about  some  unsatisfactory  arrangement. 

6.  Write  his  letter  of  adjustment  to  you. 

7.  Write  a  letter  to  your  chum  teUing  about  the  game 
and  describing  events  of  particular  interest. 

8.  Write  a  note  of  thanks  to  the  woman  who  gave  a 
dinner  for  members  of  your  team  after  the  game. 

9.  Write  any  other  letter  that  suggests  itself  to  you  in 
this  connection. 

//.  Imagine  that  you  are  to  be  a  guest  at  a  farm  in  Vermont 
when  maple  sugar  is  made.  In  an  illustrated  booklet  arrange 
all  the  correspondence  necessary  in  connection  with  the  trip. 
For  the  word  "  maple  sugar  "  you  may  substitute,  if  you  wish, 
one  of  the  following,  and  omit  the  words  ^^  farm  in  Vermont  "  .• 
coal  mine,  lead  mine,  sugar  plantation,  automobile  factory, 
copper  mine,  zinc  mine,  orange  grove,  or  cotton  plantation. 


28-  Community  English 

1.  Write  your  Vermont  friend's  invitation  to  you. 

2.  Write  your  reply.  State  definitely  your  plans  for 
length  of  stay,  time  of  arrival,  etc. 

3.  Write  a  letter  to  a  merchant  ordering  a  rain  coat  for 
use  on  the  trip. 

4.  Telegraph  for  railroad  reservations. 

5.  Write  an  advertisement  for  the  "  Lost  and  Found" 
column  of  a  local  paper  for  your  umbrella  lost  on  the  way 
to  the  train. 

6.  Send  a  night  letter  to  your  mother  telling  of  your  safe 
arrival. 

7.  Write  to  a  friend  telling  of  your  visit  and  describing 
in  some  detail  the  process  of  making  maple  sugar. 

8.  Write  a  note  of  thanks  to  the  mother  of  your  Vermont 
friend  for  her  courtesy  to  you  while  you  were  a  guest  in  her 
house. 

9.  Write  a  letter  applying  for  a  job  as  a  helper  at  a 
maple  sugar  grove  during  the  next  spring  vacation. 

10.  Write  a  letter  of  complaint  to  the  merchant  from 
whom  you  ordered  the  rain  coat,  stating  that  a  coat  much 
smaller  in  size  than  that  ordered  has  been  received,  though 
the  style  is  the  same.  You  need  the  coat  at  once.  Ask 
to  have  the  matter  made  right. 

11.  Write  the  merchant's  letter  of  adjustment  to  you. 

///.  Make  a  booklet  containing  the  correspondence 
necessary  in  getting  a  job. 

1.  From  the  daily  paper  copy  into  your  booklet  an 
advertisement  of  "  Boy  Wanted  "  or  "  Girl  Wanted." 

2.  Write  to  Dr.  William  Jones,  87  Pine  Street,  Richmond, 


Letter  Writing  29 

Virginia,  asking  permission  to  use  his  name  as  reference 
when  applying  for  a  position  for  the  summer. 

3.  Answer  the  advertisement,  applying  for  the  position 
and  stating  your  quaHfications.  Before  you  begin  writing 
this  letter,  make  a  brief  outline  of  what  you  wish  to  say. 
Perhaps  you  may  wish  to  include  the  following  items  in 
your  letter :  (i)  how  you  know  a  boy  or  girl  is  wanted ;  by 
advertisement  in  a  newspaper,  or  by  advice  of  a  friend; 
(2)  a  statement  of  your  qualification;  age,  nationaUty, 
education  —  including  your  grade  and  record  at  school,  — 
experience,  and  references. 

4.  Write  a  reply  to  your  letter  of  application,  offering  you 
the  job.  This  letter  tells  you  definitely  what  your  work 
is  to  be,  states  what  wages  you  may  expect,  and  sets  the 
time  for  you  to  enter  upon  your  new  duties. 

This  Undertaking  may  be  made  a  contest  called  "  Getting 
a  Job."  Your  teacher  will  act  as  employer.  Upon  the 
blackboard  she  will  write  a  "Help  Wanted"  advertisement. 
Each  pupil  in  the  class  may  apply  in  writing  for  the  position. 
The  best  letter  of  application  will  win  the  job. 

IV,  Organize  a  Class  Post  Office  for  the  exchange  of  class 
letters.  A  postmaster  may  be  chosen  and  two  mail  carriers 
appointed.  To  each  pupil  in  the  class  is  assigned  an  official 
title.  Your  classmates  may  write  to  you,  hut  all  letters  ad- 
dressed to  you  must  he  answered.  The  letters  are  corrected 
in  class  for  spelling,  punctuation,  and  neatness. 

The  following  directions  are  merely  suggestive : 

I.  Write  to  the  Governor,  asking  him  to  speak  at  your 
county  fair. 


30  Community  English 

2.  Write  to  the  President,  urging  him  to  accept  your 
prize  turkey  for  his  Thanksgiving  dinner. 

3.  Write  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  asking  him  to  work 
for  better  automobile  laws. 

4.  Write  to  the  Superintendent  of  Schools,  applying  for 
a  position  as  helper  in  the  school  booth  at  the  county  fair. 

5.  Write  to  the  college  Registrar,  asking  him  for  a 
catalogue. 

6.  Write  to  the  president  of  a  large  manufacturing 
company,  applying  for  a  position  as  ofl5.ce  boy. 

V.  Pretend  that  you  are  the  business  manager  of  your 
class.  Dictate  a  series  of  letters  to  one  of  your  classmates^ 
who  will  act  .as  your  stenographer.  Do  not  write  out  your 
letters  before  you  begin  dictation.  As  soon  as  you  have  finished 
dictating,  you  may  act  as  stenographer  for  your  classmate. 
Dictate  any  three  of  the  letters  suggested  below: 

1.  Write  a  letter  to  the  Principal  of  your  school,  asking 
him  to  act  as  judge  in  a  debate  conducted  by  your  class. 

2.  Write  a  letter  thanking  him  for  doing  so. 

3.  Write  a  letter  to  a  merchant,  ordering  a  dozen  tennis 
balls. 

4.  Write  the  reply  of  the  merchant,  stating  that  he  is 
sending  you  the  balls  ordered  in  your  letter.    Inclose  a  bill. 

5.  Write  a  letter  to  the  merchant,  inclosing  a  check  in 
payment. 

6.  Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  who  is  planning  to  visit  you. 
Give  him  very  definite  instructions  how  to  get  to  your  house 
from  the  station. 

7.  Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  who  is  attending  school  in 
some  other  state.    Ask  him  to  complete  arrangements  for 


Letter  Writing  31 

the  visit  of  your  class  to  a  point  of  interest  in  his  neighbor- 
hood. 

8.  Write  a  letter  to  a  piano  manufacturer.  Ask  him  for 
the  lowest  price  for  a  piano  for  your  school,  the  easiest 
method  of  payment,  the  amount  of  installments,  etc. 
State  clearly  that  the  pupils  are  attempting  to  raise  the 
money  by  school  entertainments,  and  mention  the  sum 
already  raised  which  can  be  given  as  first  payment. 

9.  Write  a  letter  to  the  editor  of  your  school  paper,  urging 
him  to  help  your  class  form  a  school  bird  club.  Ask  him 
to  write  an  editorial  setting  forth  the  advantage  of  the 
study  of  birds.  Substitute  it  you  wish,  one  of  the  following 
for  bird  club:  corn  club,  pig  club,  canning  club,  poultry  club. 

10.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  the  story  or  literary  editor 
of  your  school  paper.  Write  a  letter  to  your  teacher,  asking 
her  to  announce  a  Prize  Essay  Contest  to  be  conducted  by 
your  department  during  December  for  the  Christmas  num- 
ber of  your  paper.  Give  details  covering  the  nature  of  the 
prize,  the  conditions  of  the  contest,  the  length  of  the  story, 
and  the  judges  of  the  contest. 

VI .  Pretend  that  you  are  a  Spanish  sailor  writing  a  letter 
home  to  your  mother,  telling  her  of  your  first  voyage  with 
Columbus  across  the  "  Sea  of  Darkness.'^ 

Suggestive  questions.  — 

1 .  When  did  you  start  on  your  voyage  ? 

2.  From  what  port  did  you  sail? 

3.  How  many  other  sailors  were  in  the  crew? 

4.  What  was  the  name  of  the  ship  ?    Describe  it. 

5.  Why  did  Columbus  make  this  voyage? 

6.  Were  you  anxious  to  go  with  Columbus? 


32  Community  English 

7*  Why  were  some  of  the  sailors  released  from  prison 
in  order  to  make  the  trip  ? 

8.  What  was  your  feeHng  toward  Columbus  when  he 
would  not  turn  back  ? 

9.  What  was  Columbus'  attitude  toward  you  ? 

10.  What  were  the  first  signs  of  land  you  saw? 

1 1 .  How  many  days  were  you  on  the  ocean  ? 

12.  What  did  you  do  when  you  finally  reached  the 
shore  ? 

13.  What  name  did  Columbus  give  to  this  land  ?  What 
did  the  name  mean? 

14.  To  whom  did  he  say  the  land  belonged? 

15.  What  was  the  appearance  of  the  island? 

16.  In  what  way  did  the  natives  seem  strange  to  you? 

17.  Did  you  return  home  immediately  ? 

18.  What  other  land  did  you  see? 

19.  Did  you  find  the  golden  treasure  you  were  seeking? 

20.  How  many  sailors  were  left  in  the  fort  at  Hispaniola  ? 

VII .  Imagine  yourself  to  he  a  Spanish  soldier  under  the 
command  of  De  Soto.  Write  a  letter  to  one  of  your  friends 
in  Spain  telling  of  your  voyage  of  discovery.  Describe  the 
boat  on  which  you  sailed;  mention  the  weather  and  the  food; 
speak  of  the  landing,  of  the  disappointments,  of  the  four 
years'  wandering,  and  finally  describe  your  joy  at  beholding 
the  majestic  river;  describe  the  death  and  burial  of  De 
Soto. 

VI I L  Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  young  girl  sent  over  by  the 
London  Company  to  the  colony  of  Virginia.  Write  a  letter 
to  your  mother  in  England  telling  about  your  voyage,  your 
new  home,  your  husband,  the  first  crop  of  tobacco  which  he 


Letter  Writing  33 

sttccessftUly  raised,  your  Indian  neighbors,  your  black  slaves, 
and  mention  several  of  the  hardships  you  had  to  meet. 

IX.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  companion  of  Captain  Miles 
Standish  as  he  sailed  on  the  ^^  Mayflower^ '  to  Plymouth.  Write 
a  letter  to  your  father  stating  the  purpose  of  the  voyage,  de- 
scribing the  ship,  the  weather,  the  building  of  the  one  new  house, 
your  Indian  neighbors,  the  meeting  with  Massasoit,  and  the 
first  Thanksgiving  day. 

X.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  Dutch  sailor  under  the  com- 
mand of  Henry  Hudson.  Write  a  letter  to  one  of  the  officials 
of  your  home  town  in  Holland  telling  why  Hudson  was  sent 
out  on  the  voyage,  the  appearance  of  the  ship  on  which  you 
sailed,  the  first  sight  of  land,  trading  with  the  Indians,  and  the 
discovery  of  a  river. 

XI.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  one  of  La  Sailers  captains  on 
his  journey  of  exploration  through  the  great  waterways  of  New 
France.  Write  a  letter  to  your  brother  telling  of  the  voyage 
from  France  to  Canada,  of  your  journey  down  the  Illinois 
and  the  Mississippi  rivers  to  the  gulf,  of  the  vines  and  fruit  trees 
and  forests,  of  the  wild  animals  and  their  furs,  and  finally  of 
the  naming  of  the  whole  region  —  Louisiana. 

XII.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  an  English  soldier  under  the 
leadership  of  General  James  Wolfe  on  his  expedition  to  capture 
Quebec.  Write  a  letter  to  a  soldier  cousin  telling  of  the  journey 
up  the  St.  Lawrence,  of  your  nine  thousand  companions,  of 
the  coming  to  anchor  below  Quebec,  of  the  booming  of  the 
cannon,  of  the  shelling  of  the  lower  town,  of  your  repulse,  of 
the  discovery  of  a  path,  of  the  great  battle  on  the  plains  of 
Abraham,  and  finally  of  the  death  of  your  gallant  leader, 

XIII.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  friend  of  Paul  Revere. 
Write  a  letter  to  your  mother  telling  of  the  intense  excitement 


34  Community  English 

in  Boston  when  the  British  soldiers  started  for  Concord,  of 
the  signal  flashing  from  the  lanterns  in  the  old  North  Church, 
of  Revere' s  wild  ride  ahead  of  the  soldiers,  of  his  cries  arousing 
the  people,  of  the  assembling  of  the  Minute  Men,  of  the  firing 
of  the  "  shot  heard  Wound  the  world,'''  and  finally  of  the  retreat 
of  the  British  to  Charlestown. 

XI V.  Pretend  that  you  are  a  sailor  on  the  flagship  ''  Bon- 
homme  Richard""  under  the  command  of  John  Paul  Jones. 
Write  a  letter  to  your  mother  telling  of  the  appearance  of  the 
ship,  of  the  voyage  along  the  English  coast,  of  the  strange  crew, 
of  the  sighting  of  the  merchant  fleet,  of  the  chase,  of  the  attack 
on  the  ^^  Serapis,'"  of  the  great  bravery  of  your  commander,  and 
of  the  result  of  the  fight. 

XV.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  backwoods  volunteer  of 
Virginia  under  the  leadership  of  George  Rogers  Clark.  Write 
a  letter  to  your  father  telling  of  your  expedition  to  capture  the 
British  posts  along  the  Ohio  River.  Mention  the  small  body 
of  soldiers,  the  journey  down  the  Ohio  to.  the  Mississippi,  the 
taking  of  Kaskaskia,  and  the  capture  of  Vincennes  —  without 
a  blow. 

XVI.  Pretend  that  you  are  a  visitor  to  New  York  during 
the  first  inauguration  of  Washington.  Write  a  letter  to  your 
people  at  home  telling  of  the  glorious  spring  sunshine,  the 
joyful  city,  the  booming  guns,  the  ringing  bells,  the  military 
music,  the  grand  processions,  and  finally  of  the  appearance 
of  the  first  President  of  the  United  States  of  America  — 
George  Washington. 

XVII.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  friend  of  Alexander 
Hamilton.  Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  of  his  telling  of  the 
wonderful  work  of  the  first  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Men- 
tion two  of  Hamilton's  opponents,  and  state  four  ways  in 


Letter  Writing  35 

which  Hamilton  "  smote  the  rock  of  the  national  resources ^^^ 
so  that  '^  abundant  streams  of  revenue  gushed  forth.^^ 

XVIII .  Imagine  yourself  to  be  one  of  the  brave  adven- 
turers who  went  with  Lewis  and  Clark  on  their  expedition  into 
the  unexplored  wilderness.  Write  a  letter  to  your  mother 
telling  of  your  companions,  of  the  reason  for  sending  out  the 
exploring  party,  by  whom  it  was  sent,  where  the  money  came 
from  to  pay  the  expenses,  of  your  journey  up  the  Missouri 
River,  of  the  boat  itself,  of  your  danger  from  hostile  Indians, 
of  the  hardships  of  your  journey  over  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
of  your  meeting  with  the  Indian  girl,  Sacajawea,  and  of  your 
journey  down  the  Columbia  River  to  the  Pacific. 

XIX.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  one  of  the  pioneers  who  went 
with  Daniel  Boone  into  Kentucky.  Write  a  letter  to  your 
wife  telling  her  of  the  advantages  of  the  new  country,  of  the 
buffalo  and  deer,  of  the  warning  given  to  Boone  by  the  Indians, 
of  the  beauty  of  the  journey  through  the  Cumberland  Gap,  and 
of  the  desire  that  she  be  ready  to  move  with  you  into  Kentucky. 

XX.  Imagine  that  you  are  a  passenger  on  the  trial  trip 
of  the ' '  Clermont "  up  the  Hudson  River.  Write  a  letter  to  your 
sister  telling  her  of  the  appearance  of  the  boat,  of  its  astonishing 
noise  and  speed,  of  the  beauty  of  the  scenery,  of  your  compan- 
ions, of  the  inventor  of  the  boat,  of  his  personal  appearance,  and 
of  his  intense  interest  in  the  trial  trip  of  his  boat. 

XXI.  Imagine  that  you  are  a  passenger  on  the  first  train 
sent  over  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  Write  a  letter 
to  your  brother  telling  him  of  the  exciting  ride,  the  great  speed 
of  the  train,  the  appearance  of  the  car,  the  passengers,  and 
the  length  of  time  it  took  to  complete  the  fourteen  mile  journey. 

XXII.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  friend  of  Elias  Howe. 
Write  a  letter  to  your  mother  telling  of  the  struggle  of  a  poverty- 


36  Community  English 

stricken  man  to  make  a  machine  which  would  sew.  Tell  her 
of  the  trials  of  Howe  and  of  his  final  success.  Describe  the 
sewing  machine  and  tell  her  how  much  can  he  accomplished 
with  it. 

XXIII.  Imagine  that  you  are  one  of  the  emigrants  who 
took  the  long  overland  journey  to  seek  gold  in  California. 
Write  a  letter  to  your  mother  telling  her  of  the  preparations 
you  made  for  the  journey,  of  the  emigrant  wagon,  of  your 
companions,  of  the  long  and  weary  journey,  of  the  mining 
camps,  and  of  finding  gold  while  "  panning  "  gravel. 

XXIV.  Imagine  yourself  a  sailor  who  journeyed  with 
the  United  States  fleet  around  the  world  in  igo8.  Write  a 
letter  to  your  mother  at  the  end  of  the  voyage,  telling  her  of  the 
fleet  of  sixteen  battleships,  of  your  companions,  of  the  food, 
of  your  duties,  of  the  ports  at  which  you  stopped,  of  the  attitude 
of  the  people  toward  the  sailors,  and  of  the  great  purpose  of 
the  voyage. 

XXV.  Imagine  yourself  an  engineer  at  work  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  Panama  Canal.  Write  a  letter  to  your  father 
telling  him  of  the  climate,  of  the  conditions  under  which  you 
live,  of  your  companions,  of  your  work,  of  the  great  locks,  of 
the  Culebra  cut,  and  of  the  slides  into  the  channel. 


PART  II.     THE   MAKING   OF   BOOKLETS 

When  you  have  written  an  unusually  good  composition 
you  probably  hate  to  throw  it  away  as  soon  as  your  mis- 
takes have  been  pointed  out  —  it  seems  such  a  waste  of 
effort.  In  many  schools  the  pupils  give  permanent  value 
to  their  written  work  by  binding  their  compositions  into  a 
booklet.  How  would  you  like  to  make  such  a  booklet 
containing  an  illustrated  composition  on  some  subject  in 
which  you  are  especially  interested?  There  are  several 
ways  of  illustrating  your  compositions  and  of  binding 
them  into  book  form,  so  the  following  suggestions  may  help 
you  as  you  begin  the  work  of  your  second 

UNDERTAKING 

To  make  a  booklet  containing  an  illustrated  com- 
position entitled  ''Choosing  a  Vocation."  With  the 
consent  of  your  teacher  you  may  substitute  any  one  of 
the  subjects  based  upon  geography,  history,  argricul- 
ture,  household  arts,  community  civics,  literature,  or 
natural  history,  listed  at  the  end  of  this  Undertaking. 

Instructions  for  making  the  booklet.  — 

I.  Make  the  covers  of  your  booklet  of  any  heavy  mount- 
ing paper  such  as  ingrain  wall  paper,  brown  kraft  paper, 
drawing  paper,  bogus  paper,  which  is  excellent  and  inexpen- 

37 


38  Community  English 

sive ;    or  tailors'  pattern  paper,  which  comes  in  several  soft 
colors,  is  inexpensive,  and  answers  every  purpose. 

2.  Make  the  inside  pages  of  your  booklet  of  the  same 
material  as  the  covers,  if  you  wish.  You  will  find,  however, 
that  one  of  the  lighter  weight  papers  will  be  more  satisfac- 
tory. Choose  either  unruled  essay  paper,  typewriter  paper, 
or  any  other  plain  paper  of  good  quality. 

3.  Cut  the  inside  pages  of  your  booklet  6  inches  wide  by 
9  inches  long  and  make  the  outside  covers  a  little  larger, 
perhaps  7  inches  wide  by  10  inches  long. 

4.  You  may  fasten  your  booklet  either  with  heavy  cord 
or  with  paper  clips  like  this : 

-This  b  a  brass  dip 


I 


Such  brass  fasteners  are  much  easier  to  use  than  the  cord 
but  much  more  expensive  and  far  less  decorative  and 
satisfactory. 

5.  If  you  decide  to  fasten  the  booklet  with  the  cord, 
punch  three  holes  in  the  long  side  of  the  booklet  about 
one-half  inch  from  the  outer  edge.*  With  the  front  cover 
uppermost,  thread  a  heavy  cord  through  the  center  hole, 
through  the  lower  end  hole,  back  through  the  upper  end 
hole,  then  back  through  the  middle  hole,  and  tie  in  a  bow 
knot  in  the  center. 

6.  Decorate  the  cover  in  any  way  you  wish  with  water 
color,  ink,  colored  crayon,  snapshots,  or  pictures  cut 
from  folders  or  magazines.  You  will  do  well  to  remember 
that  the  simplest  decoration  is  often  the  most  effective. 
Do  not  hesitate  to  consult  your  drawing  teacher  about 
this  Undertaking,  as  she  will  be  glad  to  talk  it  over  with 
you. 


The  Making  of  Booklets  39 

7.  When  you  have  completed  your  booklet  it  may  look 
something  like  this : 


8.  For  additional  information  in  regard  to  the  making  of 
booklets  you  may  consult  Primary  Handwork  by  Ella  V. 
Dobbs,  or  Illustrative  Handwork  by  the  same  author. 

Instructions  for  preparing  the  composition.  — 

1.  Try  to  select  a  subject  which  seems  worth  while. 
Choose  some  business  you  would  like  to  enter  when  you  are 
old  enough.  You  may  wish  to  be  a  lawyer,  a  doctor,  a 
teacher,  a  professional  ball  player,  a  poHceman,  an  elec- 
trician, a  missionary,  a  home  maker,  a  business  man;  in 
fact,  you  may  select  any  occupation  which  interests  you  most. 

2.  Make  your  composition  as  accurate  as  possible.  Find 
out  all  you  can  about  the  business  you  choose.  What  are 
the  qualifications  necessary  to  enter  it?  What  are  its  most 
important  duties?  What  advantages  does  the  profession 
offer  and  what  are  some  of  its  disadvantages?  Interview, 
if  you  can,  a  person  who  is  already  in  your  chosen  profession. 


40  Community  English 

Get  first  hand  information  before  you  begin  to  write  your 
article,  but  do  not  forget  to  consult  books  also. 

3.  The  ideas  in  your  composition  should  be  expressed 
according  to  a  definite  plan,  so  you  will  be  helped  by 
making  an  outline  of  what  you  wish  to  say  before  you  begin. 
Unless  your  booklet  indicates  that  you  know  how  to  collect 
and  arrange  material  properly,  it  has  little  value  in  this 
Undertaking. 

4.  Make  your  booklet  as  attractive  as  you  can.  On  one 
of  the  front  pages  of  your  little  book  copy  the  outline  which 
you  made  before  writing  your  composition,  then  include 
your  composition.  From  old  newspapers,  advertisements, 
or  magazines,  cut  pictures  to  illustrate  your  theme,  or 
make  little  sketches  if  you  prefer.  Application  blanks, 
government  instructions,  or  telegraph  blanks  may  be 
included  as  illustrative  material  if  you  choose.  You  will 
be  sure  that  the  book  is  your  book  and  that  the  ideas  in  it 
are  your  ideas  if  you  write  the  composition,  arrange  the 
illustrations,  and  add  an  attractive  cover  before  you  hand  it 
to  your  teacher. 

Specimen  compositions.  —  Read  carefully  the  following 
compositions  before  you  write  your  own  composition  in 
order  that  you  may  answer  these  questions : 

1.  How  many  totally  unrelated  subjects  are  discussed 
in  any  one  composition? 

2.  How  many  parts  of  a  subject  are  discussed  in  any 
one  paragraph? 

3.  Where  does  the  first  line  of  each  paragraph  begin? 

4.  When  is  a  paragraph  ended  and  a  new  paragraph 
begun? 


The  Making  of  Booklets  41 

5.  Where  is  the  main  idea  of  the  paragraph  usually 
stated? 

6.  What  is  another  important  position  for  the  main 
idea? 

7.  Out  of  what  sentence  do  all  the  other  sentences  of  a 
paragraph  grow? 

8.  What   other   name   might   be   given   to   the   topic 
sentence  ? 

9.  How  are  the  sentences  of  a  composition  cemented  or 
glued  together? 

10.  Can  you  plan  an  outline  for  each  of  the  following 
compositions  ? 

Why  a  Baby  Elephant  Was  Spanked 

It  is  not  believed  that  any  animal  has  a  sense  of  humor  such 
as  human  beings  have ;  yet  here  is  an  authenticated  story :  A 
mother  elephant  was  dragging  an  extraordinarily  heavy  timber, 
which  she  had  been  unable  to  pick  up,  from  one  spot  to  another 
in  a  shipyard.  Two  chains  were  fastened  to  her  collar  and 
joined  to  a  device  like  a  huge  ice  hook  which  was  fastened  into 
the  end  of  the  log.  As  she  toiled  along  with  her  burden,  her 
half-grown  baby  elephant  walked  beside  her. 

She  came  to  an  incline  where  she  had  to  exert  her  entire 
strength  to  drag  the  log  up ;  and  while  she  was  leaning  forward, 
the  baby  elephant  suddenly  dropped  back,  caught  one  of  the 
hooks  with  his  trunk,  and  yanked  it  out  of  the  log,  with  the 
result  that  the  old  elephant  was  thrown  forward  on  her  head, 
her  heels  up  in  the  air.  The  little  elephant  made  straightway 
for  the  woods  near  by,  as  hard  as  he  could  gallop. 

The  mother  got  herself  together  quickly,  looked  all  around, 
and  took  after  the  youngster,  her  trunk  upraised.  She  caught 
up  with  him  in  the  woods ;  and  the  men  working  about  the  ship- 


42  Community  English 

yard  heard  his  squeals  as  her  trunk  descended  on  him  again  and 
again.     Finally  the  two  of  them  reappeared,  the  little  elephant 
walking  dejectedly  at  his  mother's  heels  holding  to  her  tail. 
Samuel  Arthur  Derieux  :  The  Smartest  Animals  We  Know 

A  Japanese  Baby 

Ahnost  every  Japanese  girl  has  a  baby  brother  or  sister 
strapped  on  her  back,  for  babies  are  never  carried  in  the  arms 
in  Japan  except  by  the  nurses  of  very  wealthy  people.  The 
baby  is  fastened  on  its  mother's  or  its  sister's  shoulders  by  a 
shawl,  and  that  serves  it  for  both  cot  and  cradle.  The  little 
girl  does  not  lose  a  single  scrap  of  her  play  because  of  the  baby. 
She  runs  here  and  there,  striking  with  her  battledore,  or  racing 
after  her  friends,  and  the  baby  swings  to  and  fro  on  her  shoulders, 
its  little  head  wobbUng  from  side  to  side  as  if  it  were  going  to 
tumble  off.  But  it  is  perfectly  content,  and  either  watches  the 
game  with  its  little  black  eyes,  or  goes  calmly  off  to  sleep. 

.  But  the  Japanese  baby  must  learn  many  things.  He  is 
taught  how  to  walk,  how  to  bow,  how  to  kneel,  and  touch  the 
floor  with  his  forehead  in  the  presence  of  a  superior,  and  how  to 
get  up  again ;  and  all  is  done  in  the  most  graceful  manner  and 
without  disturbing  a  single  fold  of  his  kimono.  One  writer 
speaks  of  going  into  a  Japanese  shop  to  buy  some  articles  he 
wanted.  The  master,  the  mistress,  the  children,  all  bent  down 
before  him.  There  was  a  two-year-old  baby  asleep  on  his 
sister's  back,  and  he,  too,  was  awakened  and  called  upon  to 
pay  his  respects  to  the  foreign  gentleman.  He  woke  without  a 
start  or  cry,  understood  at  once  what  was  required  of  him,  was 
set  on  his  feet,  and  then  proceeded  to  make  his  bows  and  to 
touch  the  ground  with  his  little  forehead,  just  as  exactly  as  his 
elder  relatives.  This  done,  he  was  restored  once  more  to  the 
shawl,  and  was  asleep  again  in  a  moment. 

John  Finnemore:  Japan.     Adapted. 


The  Making  of  Booklets  43 

Choosing  a  Vocation 

What  would  you  do  with  a  miUion  dollars  if  it  were  given  you 
to-day  to  invest  wisely?  Perhaps,  you  would  consult  bankers 
and  brokers  whose  judgment  you  valued,  as  well  as  a  lawyer  or 
two,  and  doubtless  you  would  discuss  the  investment  with  your 
friends.  Fortunately,  a  legacy  far  more  valuable  than  a  million 
dollars  has  been  given  to  you  to  invest  as  you  wish.  For  your 
life  you  would  not  take  a  million  dollars,  would  you?  Yet  you 
are  probably  giving  almost  no  thought  at  all  to  the  manner  in 
which  you  invest  it  day  by  day. 

Nevertheless,  this  matter  of  life-investment  or  choice  of 
vocation  is  one  of  the  most  vital  problems  you  are  compelled 
to  meet.  No  person  can  make  life  mean  much,  either  to  him- 
self or  to  his  fellow  men,  if  he  does  not  meet  his  daily  task  with 
eagerness.  If  in  his  work  he  does  not  find  full  scope  and  ex- 
pression, he  cannot  work  efficiently.  The  constant  friction  of 
^'working  against  the  grain"  prevents  his  ever  attaining  com- 
plete joy  and  happiness.  If,  however,  a  person  is  enthusiastic 
in  his  work,  he  does  it  well  and  successfully  and  is  bound,  there- 
fore, to  be  a  vital  force  in  his  community. 

Are  you  thinking  about  what  your  vocation  is  to  be  ?  Are  you 
reasonably  sure  that  you  are  fitted  by  nature  and  education  to 
do  the  thing  you  want  to  do?  Have  you  consulted  older  and 
wiser  people  to  obtain  advice  and  help  in  this  matter  of  how  you 
shall  spend  your  life?  If  you  have  not  yet  begun  to  study 
yourself,  it  is  time  that  you  found  out  what  your  inclinations 
and  wishes  are,  and  for  what  vocation  these  interests  and  abili- 
ties and  ambitions  best  adapt  you. 

A  Cherry-Tree  Festival 

A  curious  custom  is  observed  in  the  German  city  of  Hamburg. 
It  is  a  festival  for  the  children,  who  march  in  procession  through 


44  Community  English 

the  streets  waving  cherry-tree  branches,  laden  with  fruit. 
This  festival  has  been  held  for  more  than  400  years,  and  serves 
to  remind  the  people  of  a  grand  victory  that  was  won  by  none 
but  Httle  children  over  an  army  of  fierce  men. 

In  the  year  1432  Hamburg  was  besieged  by  a  great  army. 
The  war  had  been  raging  for  many  years  and  on  both  sides  it 
had  become  very  bitter  and  cruel.  The  people  of  Hamburg 
were  terribly  afraid,  for  they  knew  they  could  not  hold  out  much 
longer  against  such  superior  numbers.  A  council  of  the  chief 
citizens  was  held  to  consider  what  was  to  be  done,  and  after 
much  discussion  some  one  suggested  that  they  should  send  out 
the  little  children  who  might  so  melt  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers 
that  they  would  do  no  harm  to  the  town. 

Then  all  the  children  were  gathered  together  from  their  homes, 
the  city  gate  was  opened  and  they  were  told  to  march  out  to  the 
army.  The  soldiers  lying  outside,  who  had  come  to  destroy 
the  city  and  murder  all  who  were  in  it,  were  surprised  to  see 
the  gate  swing  open,  and  little  children  all  in  pure  white  robes 
come  forth.  When  the  little  ones  drew  timidly  up  to  their 
tents,  the  eyes  of  the  rough  soldiers  began  to  fill  with  tears,  and 
—  as  there  were  cherry  orchards  all  about — they  threw  down 
their  weapons  and  gathered  beautiful  branches  off  the  cherry 
trees  and  sent  back  the  children  to  their  parents  with  messages 

of  peace. 

Nesfield  :  Junior  Course  of  English  Composition 

Optional  composition  subjects.  —  With  the  consent  of 
your  teacher,  any  of  the  following  subjects  may  be  sub- 
stituted for  "  Choosing  a  Vocation  "  as  the  title  of  your 
booklet. 

I.   Subjects  based  upon  history : 

Indian  Tools,  Weapons,  or  Food 

A  Method  of  Travel  in  Colonial  Times 


The  Making  of  Booklets  45 

Dress  of  the  Colonists 

Dress  of  Colonial  Children 

A  Colonial  School  Book 

A  Colonial  Newspaper 

A  Colonial  Kitchen 

'Food  in  Colonial  Days 

A  Colonial  Church 

A  Dutch  Home  or  School  or  Church 

A  Pioneer  Home 

One  Day  in  a  Pioneer  School 

My  Hero  (Any  historical  character) 

Comparison  of  Uniforms  Worn  during  the  Civil 
War  and  the  Great  War 

An  Important  Event  in  the  History  of  My  State 

An  Interesting  Item  of  Local  History 

An  Example  of  Courage  from  Local  History 

One  of  the  Liberty  Loans 

Civil  Service 

Enfranchisement  of  Women 

An  Important  Battle  of  the  Great  War 

The  Story  of  Our  Army  or  Navy 

The  Development  of  any  School  or  College  in  Your 
State 

An  American  Inventor 

A  Famous  American  Poet 

Early  Days  in  My  Community  (The  first  store- 
keeper, tavern-keeper,  school  teacher,  newspaper, 
or  church) 

One  of  Our  Presidents 

A  Famous  American  Author 

A  Famous  American  Artist 


46  Community  English 

2.  Subjects  based  upon  agriculture : 

Several  Varieties  of  Apples  (Any  other  fruit  may 
be  substituted  for  apples.) 

A  Model  Dairy 

How  Plants  Get  Their  Food  from  the  Soil 

How  Seeds  are  Scattered 

Raising  Corn  (Wheat,  oats,  or  barley  may  be  sub- 
stituted for  corn.) 

Raising  Sheep  (Pigs,  horses,  or  cows  may  be  sub- 
stituted for  sheep.) 

Making  Maple  Sugar 

Soil  Improvement  of  the  Farm 

3.  Subjects  based  upon  household  arts : 

One  Method  of  House  Decoration 

House  Furnishing 

Laundering 

Sewing 

Cooking 

Making  Hats 

4.  Subjects  based  upon  natural  history : 

Bird  Notes  (A  study  of  birds  in  your  community) 

Native  Plants 

Native  Flowers 

Native  Animals 

Weeds  in  My  Town  or  County 

Fish  in  the  Streams  or  Lakes  of  My  County 

Minerals  of  My  County 

Varieties  of  Fruit  Grown  in  My  Locality 

The  Honey  Bee 


The  Making  of  Booklets  47 

5.   Subjects  based  upon  literature : 
Hiawatha 

The  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin 
The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish 
Evangeline 
Rip  Van  Winkle 
The  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow 
Treasure  Island 

The  Jungle  Books  (Especially  the  Mowgli  Stories) 
Little  Women  or  Little  Men 
Hans  Brinker 

The  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus 
The  Great  Stone  Face 
Stories  of  King  Arthur 
Lamb's  "  Tales  from  Shakespeare  " 
Barbara  Frietchie 
Abou  Ben  Adhem 
The  Bell  of  Atri 

The  Diverting  History  of  John  Gilpin 
King  Robert  of  Sicily 
Herve  Riel 
Paul  Revere's  Ride 
The  King  of  the  Golden  River 
*    Horatius  at  the  Bridge 
The  Last  of  the  Mohicans 
David  Copper  field 
Tom  Sawyer 
The  Call  of  the  Wild 
A  Watcher  in  the  Woods 
The  Man  Without  a  Country 
Christmas  Carol 


48  Community  English 

Alhambra 

Mrs.  Wiggs  of  the  Cabbage  Patch 
Rebecca  of  Sunnybrook  Farm 
Franklin's  Autobiography 

6.  Subjects  based  upon  geography : 

The  Most  Important  Industry  in  My  City 

The   Plant   Life   of   North   America    (Any   other 

country  may  be  substituted.) 
The  Products  of  Illinois  (Any  other  state  may  be 

substituted.) 
Food  in  Eskimo  Land  (China,  Japan,  or  India  may 

be  substituted.) 
Typical  Houses  of  California  (Any  state  or  country 

may  be  substituted  for  California.) 
Typical  Home  Life  in  any  Foreign  Country  (In 

this  composition  you  may  discuss  foreign  houses, 

food,  dress,  entertainment,  customs,  etc.) 
The  Capital  City  of  This  State 
The  Panama  Canal 

The  Chief  Physical  Features  of  This  State 
Iowa   (Substitute  any  other  state  for  Iowa  and 

discuss  its  noted  people,  its  important  buildings, 

its  chief  industries,  and  other  important  items  of 

interest.) 

7.  Subjects  based  upon  community  civics : 

For  the  first  three  subjects  in  the  following  list  special 
questions  have  been  suggested.  You  may  use  them  or  not 
as  you  wish.  Remember,  however,  to  substitute  the  words 
town  or  village  for  the  word  city  in  case  you  do  not  live  in 
the  city. 


The  Making  of  Booklets  49 

Street  Advertising 

Why  is  the  appearance  of  a  street  often  spoiled  by 
signs? 

What  effect  upon  real  estate  have  several  large  tumble- 
down billboards  ? 

Can  you  do  anything,  as  a  class,  to  remove  objection- 
able billboards  from  your  community? 

Are  any  of  the  advertisements  artistic?  Do  they  add 
to  the  beauty  of  the  street? 

Does  your  city  regulate  street  advertising  in  any  way? 

Have  you  ever  heard  of  a  city  where  no  large  billboards 
were  permitted? 

In  what  part  of  your  city  are  billboards  especially 
objectionable? 
The  Post  Ofhce 

What  is  the  appearance  of  the  post  office  in  your  city? 

Who  is  the  postmaster?     Who  is  postmaster-general? 

Is  the  post  office  controlled  by  the  city,  by  the  state,  or 
by  the  United  States  ? 

What  is  the  meaning  of  special  delivery,  parcels  post, 
registered  letter,  insured  package,  money  order,  and 
postal  savings  bank? 

What  are  some  of  the  advantages  of  free  delivery? 

Are  the  letter  carriers  compelled  to  take  and  pass  civil 
service  examinations? 

How  does  the  post  office  department  in  your  city  speed 
the  delivery  of  mail? 

What  special  effort  is  made  at  the  local  office  to  handle 
the  Christmas  rush? 
School  Gardens 

What  is  the  meaning  of  school  garden? 


50  Community  English 

How  many  such  gardens  were  there  in  your  city  last 
year? 

Why  are  these  gardens  of  special  value  to  city  children? 

Have  you  ever  been  a  school  gardener  ?     What  success 
did  you  have? 

Do  you  know  of  a  vacant  lot  in  your  locality  which 
might  be  used  for  a  school  garden? 

Who   furnishes   the   seeds   and   fertilizer   for   school 
gardens? 

What  becomes  of  the  crops  which  are  raised? 

Is  school  credit  given  for  school  garden  work? 

Can  you  think  of  any  improvements  which  might  be 
made  in  the  school  gardens  next  year? 
Why  I  Am  Loyal  to  My  City 
The  Smoke  Nuisance  in  Our  City 
Social  Settlement  Work  in  This  City 
Industrial  Development  in  This  City 
The  Architecture  of  Our  Pubhc  Buildings 
Better  Housing 

What  It  Means  to  Be  a  Good  Citizen 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  This  City 
Associated  Charities  in  This  City 
Character  and  Variety  of  Industries  in  This  City 
Medical  Inspection  in  the  Schools 
United  States  Money 

The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals 
Labor  Conditions  in  This  City 
Americanization  Work  in  This  City 
Advantages  of  This  City  as  a  Commercial  Center 
Boy  Scouts  or  Girl  Scouts  or  Campfire  Girls 


The  Making  of  Booklets  51 

SIMILAR  UNDERTAKINGS 

I.    To  make  a  class  booklet. 

Instructions.  —  In  itself  the  class  booklet  differs  in  no 
way  from  the  individual  booklet  —  except  possibly  in  size. 
As  soon  as  the  subject  has  been  chosen  for  the  booklet  by 
the  class,  however,  two  captains  are  appointed  by  the 
teacher.  The  class  is  then  divided  into  groups  under  the 
leadership  of  the  captains  and  each  group  works  out  one 
part  of  the  subject.  Your  special  duty  is  to  provide  a 
single  page  for  the  booklet.  A  committee,  chosen  by  the 
class,  binds  the  leaves  together  with  a  heavy  cord  and  also 
provides  the  cover  decoration.  After  the  booklet  has  been 
displayed  upon  the  bulletin  board  for  a  given  length  of 
time,  it  is  placed  in  the  school  Hbrary  for  the  use  of  other 
English  classes. 

//.    To  make  a  class  scrapbook. 

Instructions.  —  The  class  scrapbook  is  like  the  class 
booklet  except  that  it  usually  contains  the  class  work  of 
several  different  Undertakings  as  well  as  such  illustrative 
material  as  the  following:  photographs,  newspaper  items, 
maps,  charts,  accounts  of  visits  to  local  industrial  plants, 
and  bulletins  of  local  information. 

///.    To  make  a  class  anthology. 

Instructions.  —  After  looking  up  the  meaning  of  anthology 
in  the  dictionary,  choose  from  the  daily  paper  the  poem  you 
like  best,  but  limit  your  subject  to  poems  of  nature,  poems 
of  war,  or  poems  of  heroism.  Prepare  to  read  the  poem 
before  your  class,  which  is  a  board  of  censorship.  If  your 
classmates   and   teacher   approve   your   choice  of   poem, 


52  Community  English 

you  may  paste  it  upon  a  sheet  of  unruled  paper  8"Xii" 
in  size.     At  the  bottom  of  the  page  write  these  words: 

Poem  submitted  by  (sign  your  name). 

File  the  poem  with  those  submitted  by  your  classmates. 
As  soon  as  twenty  or  more  poems  have  been  collected,  you 
may  select  a  committee  of  three  from  your  class  to  arrange 
the  sheets  in  booklet  form.  Upon  the  cover  of  the  Httle 
book  should  be  printed  neatly :  Anthology  of  Poetry,  col- 
lected by  class ,  date. 


PART   III.     ORAL   AND    WRITTEN    REPORTS 

Do  you  remember  how  hopeless  Rebecca  of  Sunnybrook 
Farm  felt  when  she  was  asked  to  write  a  composition  about 
"Cloud  Pictures  "  or  some  other  subject  of  which  she 
knew  nothing?  If  you  do,  you  will  recall  how  dismayed 
her  teacher  was  when  the  composition  was  handed  in. 
Doubtless,  you  sympathized  with  Rebecca,  who  longed 
for  English  lessons  —  "  just  a  little  more  interesting  "  ; 
and  you  will  be  glad  that  this  Undertaking  deals  with  your 
own  life  in  your  own  community  and  is,  therefore,  sure  to 
prove  of  interest.  As  a  reporter,  or  "  bearer  of  news  "  to 
your  classmates,  you  are  to  make  an  investigation  of  some 
local  public  utility.     They  in  turn  will  bring  reports  to  you. 

Since  there  are  several  ways  in  which  to  gather  material 
for  these  reports,  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  decide  which  of 
the  following  methods  you  will  undertake:  each  pupil 
may  investigate  a  different  subject ;  or  the  entire  class  may 
make  a  thorough  investigation  of  just  one  subject ;  or  the 
teacher  may  divide  the  class  into  as  many  different  groups 
as  there  are  public  utilities  and  each  group  may  investigate 
a  different  subject.  In  case  you  decide  upon  group  activ- 
ity, each  group  should  be  headed  by  a  captain.  Having 
decided  upon  your  subject  and  the  manner  of  finding  out 
about  it,  you  are  ready  for  your  third 

UNDERTAKING 
To  investigate  one  of  the  public  utilities  in  your 
community   and    to   give    a    short    report    of    your 
investigation. 

53 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  §5 

You  may  be  interested  to  know  that  the  public  utilities 
which  are  usually  supplied  to  the  city  by  corporations  are 
the  following :  water,  gas,  electricity,  telephone,  and  trans- 
portation. The  public  utilities  which  ordinarily  a  city 
suppHes  for  itself  are :  parks,  libraries,  schools,  museums, 
hospitals,  playgrounds,  and  markets. 

As  you  make  your  investigation  you  will  come  across 
material  which  is  of  no  special  value  to  you  but  which  may 
greatly  help  a  classmate  in  his  report.  Do  you  not  think 
that  it  would  be  courteous,  and  helpful  to  the  work  of  the 
class,  to  pass  along  such  material? 

Instructions.  — 

1 .  Decide  upon  the  public  utility  you  wish  to  investigate 
and  announce  your  decision  to  your  teacher. 

2.  Plan  a  trip  to  observe  and  investigate  the  utihty 
chosen. 

3.  Make  arrangements  with  some  official  of  the  com- 
pany for  your  visit. 

4.  While  going  through  the  plant  or  office,  conduct  your- 
self as  a  self-respecting  American  citizen.  Be  quiet,  cour- 
teous, and  respectful. 

5.  Jot  down  in  a  notebook  the  most  important  informa- 
tion you  receive. 

6.  Find  out  all  you  can  about  your  subject  in  books  and 
papers,  and  discuss  your  Undertaking  with  your  parents 
and  older  people. 

7.  Before  giving  your  report  in  class  you  will  probably 
wish  to  write  out  what  you  are  going  to  say.  From  the 
notes  jotted  down,  arrange  your  material,  according  to 
topics,  in  paragraph  form.    Write  this  first  draft  just  as 


56  Community  English 

well  as  you  can,  then  read  it  over  carefully  and  make  cor- 
rections. If  information  is  obtained  from  books,  maga- 
zineSj  or  newspapers,  be  sure  to  give  the  source  of  your 
authority.  Give  name  of  book  or  magazine,  date  of 
publication,  and  pages  where  information  is  obtained. 

8.  Bring    to    class   interesting  pictures,    clippings,    or 
photographs  for  display  upon  the  bulletin  board. 

9.  In  class  make  a  short  report  of  your  investigation. 
If  your  teacher  wishes,  you  may  be  limited  to  five  minutes. 

10.  Remember  to  stand  erect,  speak  distinctly,  use 
simple  words,  and  leave  out  all  unimportant  details.  It  is 
absolutely  essential  that  your  report  be  true,  that  it  be  clears 
and  that  it  be  complete. 

11.  When  called  upon  by  your  teacher,  be  ready  to 
discuss  the  report  of  any  other  pupil  in  regard  to  English, 
sentence  structure,  manner  of  presentation,  and  distinctness. 

12.  The  best  report  may  be  published  in  the  school  paper 
or  in  any  local  paper. 

13.  Written  reports  may  be  filed  in  the  class  scrapbook. 

Suggestive  questions.  —  Under  each  pubHc  utiHty  Hsted 
in  this  Undertaking  there  are  certain  questions  to  help 
you  in  your  investigation.  Do  not  Kmit  yourself  to  these 
questions  however,  for  you  will  find  out  many  things  not 
listed  here. 

I .   Water  Works 

Describe  the  water  works  building  and  plant. 
Where  does  the  water  supply  come  from  —  springs, 

lakes,  or  rivers? 
How  is  water  pressure  secured? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  57 

How  is  the  water  stored,  in  a  standpipe  or  in  a 
reservoir? 

Is  the  water  system  owned  by  the  community  or  is 
it  privately  controlled  ? 

How  much  money  does  this  corporation  pay  to  the 
city  each  year  ? 

Is  the  water  pure  or  are  you  asked  to  boil  it  before 
drinking  it  ? 

How  much  does  your  family  pay  for  the  water  it  uses? 

What  is  a  water  meter  ?  If  there  is  a  meter  in  your 
house,  can  you  read  it? 

What  is  a  water  filter?  How  is  the  water  for  your 
city  filtered  ? 

Is  the  water  pressure  great  enough  to  afford  protection 
against  fires  ? 

Why  is  it  wrong  to  leave  a  faucet  open  or  to  waste 
water  in  any  way? 

Have  you  seen  any  person  in  your  community  wast- 
ing the  water  supply  of  the  city? 

If  the  water  works  plant  is  not  attractive  in  appear- 
ance, what  can  you  suggest  to  beautify  it  ? 

2.  Gas 

Is  gas  used  in  your  community  for  street  lighting  pur- 
poses? 
Is  it  also  used  in  your  city  for  heating  purposes? 
Is  it  natural  or  artificial  gas? 
Can  you  read  the  gas  meter  in  your  house  ? 
How  much  does  it  cost  your  family  a  month  for  gas  ? 
Is  the  supply  of  gas  sufficient  for  the  community  or 
are  there  times  when  the  gas  supply  is  very  low? 


58  Community  English 

Are  the  pavements  often  torn  up  so  that  the  gas 

mains  can  be  repaired  ? 
How  much  does  the  company  pay  to  the  city  for  the 

privilege  of  using  the  streets? 
Is  the  gas  office  an  attractive  building?     Could  it 

be  made  more  beautiful  by  the  addition  of  vines, 

trees,  or  shrubs? 

3.   Telephones 

Who  invented  the  telephone? 

When  was  the  first  telephone  message  sent? 

How  many  telephone  exchanges  are  there  in  your 
city? 

How  many  operators  are  employed? 

How  many  miles  of  wire  are  used? 

Are  the  wires  above  the  street  or  are  they  under- 
ground ? 

Are  the  poles  for  the  wires  unsightly,  or  are  they 
decorative  in  design? 

Is  your  telephone  service  satisfactory? 

How  long  do  the  telephone  girls  work  each  day? 
How  much  are  they  paid  ? 

Is  the  telephone  building  attractive?  Would  it  look 
better  with  more  shrubbery  and  vines  about  it? 

How  is  the  telephone  service  regulated? 

What  is  a  switchboard,  receiver,  transmitter,  party 
line  ? 

4.   Transportation 

What  relation  is  there  between  transportation  and  the 
well-being  of  the  community? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  59 

Who  controls  the  street  railways  in  your  city  or 
town  ? 

How  much  money  does  the  street  car  company  pay 
to  your  city  for  the  privilege  of  using  the  streets  ? 

How  long  does  it  take  you  to  come  to  school  ?  Do  you 
walk,  use  the  elevated,  subway,  or  surface  cars, 
or  do  you  come  by  the  steam  road  ? 

Are  there  elevated  roads  or  subways  in  your  com- 
munity ? 

Which  gives  the  better  service  ? 

Why  were  the  elevated  and  subways  built? 

Are  there  many  accidents  at  grade  crossings  in  your 
locality  ? 

How  many  were  there  last  year? 

Has  any  effort  been  made  to  do  away  with  grade 
crossings  ? 

When  were  the  first  street  cars  used  in  your  city  ? 

Describe  the  first  cars.  Explain  how  they  were  differ- 
ent from  those  in  use  to-day. 

Does  the  company  provide  seats  for  all  who  pay  or 
do  many  have  to  stand  during  the  rush  hours  ? 

Are  the  railroad  and  electric  stations  attractive? 
What  do  you  think  could  be  done  to  beautify 
them? 

Do  you  know  of  any  city  which  operates  its  own 
street  railway  system?  Is  the  service  in  that 
city  better  than  the  service  in  yours  ? 

Are  there  any  "jitney  busses"  in  your  city?  If 
so,  how  are  they  regulated  and  what  kind  of  serv- 
ice do  they  give  ? 

Why    is    overcrowding    in    the    tenement    districts 


6o  Community  English 

directly  caused    by  the    lack    of    transportation 
facilities  ? 

5.  Electricity 

Does  your  city  own  its  own  electric  light  plant? 
If  not,  who  furnishes  the  light  for  the  streets  and 
the  houses? 

Are  there  many  unsightly  electric  poles  in  the 
streets?  Are  the  company's  men  permitted  to 
cut  off  branches  of  beautiful  trees  to  make  room 
for  electric  wires? 

Is  it  possible  to  place  electric  wires  underground  in 
pipes  or  conduits? 

Are  the  streets  sufficiently  Ughted  to  afford  protec- 
tion on  a  dark  night? 

Do  you  use  electricity  for  any  other  purpose  than 
light  in  your  house? 

Can  you  read  the  electric  meter?  Read  the  njeter 
this  month  and  check  up  the  bill  sent  by  the 
electric  Hght  company. 

Which  is  the  cleaner  and  safer  to  use,  electricity  or  gas? 

Which  is   better   for   street   lighting  purposes,  elec- 
tricity or  gas? 
'     What  is  the  meaning  of  kilowatt  hour,  dynamo? 

What  power  drives  the  dynamo  in  the  electric  hght 
plant?  Is  a  gas  engine,  gasoline  engine,  steam 
engine,  or  water  power  used? 

Name  three  electric  cooking  apphances  and  three 
electric  heating  apphances. 

Does  the  appearance  of  your  electric  light  plant  and 
electric  light  office  add  to  the  beauty  of  your  city? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  6i 

If  not,  can  you  suggest  some  way  to  make  the  place 
more  attractive? 

6.  Parks 

Why  are  parks    especially  needed   to   protect   the 

health  of  people,  particularly  of  children? 
Why  are   many   small  parks  particularly  necessary 

in  the  crowded  tenement  districts? 
How  many  parks  are  there  in  your  city?     How  far 

do  you  live  from  a  park? 
Where  does  the  money  come  from  which  keeps  up 

the  parks? 
Who  is  the  park  commissioner? 
What  is  the  chief  purpose  of  a  park  —  use  or  beauty? 
Are  there  "  Keep  off  the  grass  "  signs  in  the  parks  of 

your  city?    Are  the  signs  observed? 
What  opportunities  for  recreation  are  provided  by 

the  park  commissioners?     Are  there  opportunities 

for  golf,  tennis,  baseball,  and  football? 
Are  free  motion  pictures  regularly  shown  in  any  of 

the  parks? 
Are  band  concerts  provided  by  the  city? 
Has  any  effort  been  made  to  connect  the  parks  by 

beautiful  boulevards  or  roadways? 
Are  refreshments  or  lunches  sold  by  the  city  at  any 

of  the  parks  ? 
What  can  you  say  of   the   financial  value   of   real 

estate  near  the  parks  ? 
Are  the  parks  used  in  winter  ? 
Which  is  of  greater  value  to   the   city  —  one  large 

park  or  several  small  ones? 


62  Community  English 

Are  the  parks  httered  with  paper?  What  can  you 
do  to  help  improve  the  appearance  of  the  parks  ? 

Is  there  a  section  of  your  city  which  needs  a  park 
but  which  has  none? 

How  do  parks  help  create  a  higher  standard  of 
citizenship  ? 

7.  Municipal  Playgrounds 

How  many  pubHc  playgrounds  are  there  in  your 
city? 

When  and  how  were  they  estabhshed? 

How  far  do  you  Hve  from  a  playground  ? 

Why  are  playgrounds  especially  necessary  for 
children  who  ordinarily  have  to  play  in  the  dirty 
streets-  or  alleys  ? 

Are  the  city  playgrounds  in  charge  of  athletic 
instructors  ? 

How  many  seesaws,  sand  boxes,  swings,  slides,  swim- 
ming pools,  and  bathhouses  are  provided  for  use? 

Has  any  provision  been  made  for  baseball  and 
basket  ball? 

Is  the  playground  flooded  in  winter  for  skating 
purposes  ? 

Where  does  the  money  come  from  to  maintain  these 
playgrounds  ? 

Are  seats  and  benches  provided  for  the  use  of 
mothers  and  other  onlookers  ? 

Are  there  "  Keep  off  the  grass  "  signs?  Why  do 
you  think  they  should  or  should  not  be  observed  ? 

Is  the  purpose  of  the  playground  beauty  or  useful- 
ness? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  63 

Is  there  any  dumping  place  in  your  city  which  could 
be  used  to  advantage  as  a  municipal  playground  ? 

Is  there  any  land  containing  tumble-down  buildings 
which  could  be  used  as  a  small  park  or  play- 
ground? 

8.   Public  Library 

How  does  a  pubhc  library  help  to  make  better 
citizens  ? 

When  was  a  pubhc  library  first  estabhshed  in  your 
community? 

What,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  hbrary  in  your 
city? 

How  is  the  library  maintained?  Who  pays  the 
taxes  ? 

How  is  the  building  lighted  ?     How  is  it  ventilated  ? 

Is  the  Hbrary  centrally  located? 

How  many  seats  are  there  in  the  reading  room  ? 

Who  is  the  Hbrarian?     What  are  his  duties? 

Is  the  library  building  ever  used  for  any  other  purpose 
than  as  a  library  —  for  example,  is  it  used  for 
club  meetings,  art  gallery,  or  lecture  hall? 

Is  the  library  building  attractive?  Can  you  think 
of  any  improvement  which  would  add  to  its  ap- 
pearance ? 

How  many  books  are  there  in  the  library? 

How  many  books  were  drawn  out  last  year  ? 

Who  chooses  the  books? 

Who  engages  the  hbrarian  and  his  assistants? 

Who  owns  the  books?  Why  should  the  books  be 
used  carefully? 


64  Community  English 

Are  you  permitted  to  go  into  the  shelf  room  to  select 

your  book? 
Has  the  library  a  separate  department  for  children? 
How  many  branch  libraries  are  maintained  ? 
Are  special  talks  given  by  your  teachers  on  how  to 

use  the  library? 
Does  the  public  library  loan  books  to  your  school 

library? 
Why  are  the  trustees  of  the  Ubrary  anxious  that  the 

books  be  used? 
Why  is  it  necessary  and   proper  for  the  library  to 

demand  a  fine  when  a  book  has  been  misused? 
What  is  a  Carnegie  library? 
What  is  the  meaning  of:  reference  books,  traveling 

library,  circulating  library,  card  catalogue,  period- 
icals, and  card  index? 

9.   Hospital 

Is  there  a  public  hospital  in  your  city? 

When  was  it  established? 

Who  is  at  the  head  of  the  hospital  ? 

Where  does  the  money  come  from  which  maintains  it? 

How  many  cases  were  treated  last  year  ? 

Describe  the  building  or  buildings. 

Are  the  surroundings  attractive? 

Are  there  special  wards  for  special  cases  ? 

What  conveniences  are  provided  for  the  patients  ? 

Has  a  special  home  been  provided  for  the  nurses  ? 

When  are  visitors  admitted  ? 

How  large  is  this  year's  class  of  student  nurses? 

What  is  a  hospital  clinic  ? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  65 

Is  a  clinic  maintained  in  your  city? 

What  is  the  meaning  of  city  nurse,  emergency  aid, 
ambulance,  visiting  physician,  and  city  dispen- 
sary? 

10.   Public  Schools 

How  many  public  schools  are  there  in  your  city? 
How  many  teachers  are  employed  ?     How  many  men, 

how  many  women? 
How  many  pupils  were  in  attendance  last  year? 
How  much    money   did  it    cost    to    maintain   the 

schools  last  year? 
Where  did  the  money  come  from? 
About  how  many  hours  are  the  buildings  used  each 

day? 
Are  the   schools  in   your    city  ever    used  as  social 

centers  ? 
How  are  the  rooms  lighted,  heated,  ventilated? 
Where  are  the  school  playgrounds?     How  are  they 

equipped  ? 
When  was  the  first  school  established  in  your  city? 
If  possible,  describe  how  one  day  was  spent  in  that 

old-time  school. 
How  many   weeks  are  the  schools  in  session  each 

year? 
What  are  the  qualifications  of  the  teachers? 
How  is  the  course  of  study  planned  ? 
Do  the  schools  of  your  city  get  any  state  money? 

If  so,  how  much  ? 
Are  textbooks  free  in  your  school? 
Who  is  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  your  city? 


66  Community  English 

What  are  his  duties? 

Are  you  required  to  go  to  school  until  you  are 
sixteen  years  of  age? 

How  much  money  does  your  city  have  to  pay  to 
educate  a  pupil  from  kindergarten  through  high 
school  ? 

Of  how  many  members  is  the  board  of  education  com- 
posed ? 

What  is  meant  by  the  following :  vocational  school, 
technical  school,  elementary  school,  secondary 
school,  parent- teachers  association? 

Are  there  any  night  schools  in  your  city? 

Why  is  free  education  of  boys  and  girls  a  good  in- 
vestment for  the  community? 

1 1 .   Municipal  Markets 

Is  there  a  municipal  market  in  your  city? 

Is  the  market  centrally  located  ? 

Why  does  your  city  maintain  this  market? 

Describe  the  market  building. 

Can  you  suggest  any  method  of  making  the  building 
more  attractive? 

When  was  the  market  opened? 

By  whom  is  it  managed  ? 

Do  all  classes  of  people  buy  at  this  market? 

Is  it  operated  at  a  gain  for  the  city? 

Is  the  market  clean  and  sanitary? 

Mention  several  different  kinds  of  foods  sold  in  the 
market. 

Do  you  know  any  one  who  is  opposed  to  the  munici- 
pal market? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  '      67 

Has  the  price  of  food  in  your  city  been  reduced  since 

the  opening  of  the  market  ? 
How  does  the  market  benefit  the  producer  of  the 

food? 
What  is  the  meaning  of  middleman? 

SIMILAR    UNDERTAKINGS 

I.  To  make  an  investigation  of  the  government  of  your 
community  and  to  give  a  short  report  of  the  investigation. 

Suggestions.  —  There  are  three  departments  of  govern- 
ment in  every  city  or  town.  The  legislative  department  is 
composed  of  the  law  makers,  the  executive  department  is 
composed  of  the  law  enforcers,  and  the  judicial  department 
is  composed  of  the  law  explainers  who  are  usually  called 
judges. 

Your  community  may  not  be  governed  by  the  officials 
mentioned  in  the  questions  suggested  in  this  Undertaking, 
but  you  are  governed  by  law  makers,  by  law  enforcers,  and 
by  law  explainers.  The  investigation,  therefore,  of  the 
government  of  your  community  should  prove  as  interesting 
as  the  Undertaking  described  in  detail  here. 

Before  you  complete  your  work  you  should  plan  an 
excursion  to  the  court  house  or  city  hall,  but  do  not  go 
unless  you  are  chaperoned  by  your  teacher  or  some  older 
person,  and  be  sure  that  all  arrangements  for  your  visit 
are  made  in  advance. 

You  may  substitute  the  word  town  or  village  for  the  word 
city  in  this  Undertaking. 

Suggestive  questions.  —  The  following  questions  are 
based  upon  the  work  of  the  various  departments  of  govern- 


68  Community  English 

ment.    They  are  merely  suggestive  in  nature  and  may  be 
omitted  or  used  as  you  choose. 

1 .  Legislative  Department 

What  are  the  law  makers  of  your  city  called?     How 

are  they  chosen? 
How  many  law  makers  are  there  in  your  city?     Do 

they  represent  districts  or  wards  or  the  whole  city? 
What  are  the  qualifications  of  a  law  maker?    What 

is  his  term  of  office? 
What  salary  does  he  receive? 
When  do  the  law  makers  meet  for  conference? 
What  are  their  chief  duties?     Why  do  they  have  a 

right  to  tax  the  people  of  your  city? 
What  is  the  meaning  of  city  charter  and  city  budget  ? 
When  was  a  charter  granted  to  your  city? 

2.  Executive  Department 

Who  is  the  mayor  of  your  city?  If  your  city  has  no 
mayor,  who  is  the  city  manager?  How  was  he 
elected  or  appointed?  What  is  his  term  of  office? 
What  salary  does  he  receive  and  where  does  the 
money  come  from  with  which  to  pay  the  salary? 

What  are  the  most  important  duties  of  the  mayor? 
Has  he  the  right  to  veto  a  bill  or  the  power  to 
appoint  men  to  assist  him  in  his  work? 

Do  appointments  by  the  mayor  have  to  be  approved 
by  the  law  makers  ? 

Who  are  some  of  the  other  law  enforcers  in  your  city? 
Make  a  list  of  the  different  boards  or  committees  or 
departments. 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  69 

Who  is  city  auditor  ?     What  are  his  duties,  his  salary, 
and  his  term  of  office? 

A.  Civil  Service  Commission 

What  is  the  meaning  of  civil  service  ? 
Has  your  city  a  civil  service  commission  ? 
What  is  meant  by  a  civil  service  examination? 
How  often  are  such  examinations  held  m  your 

city? 
Who  may  take  these  examinations? 
Of  what  advantage  is  civil  service  to  an  employee  ? 

B.  Health  Department 

Who  are  your  local  health  officers  ? 

Mention  several  health  laws  in   force  in  your 

city. 
What  is  the  death  rate  in  your  city  ? 
What  is  the  meaning  of  vaccination,  quarantine, 

epidemic  ? 
Why  does  the  health  department  emphasize  the 

importance  of  fresh  air,  wise  eating,  and  cleanli- 
ness? 
What  is  the  work  of  the  health  department  when  a 

contagious  disease  appears? 
Has  this  department  ever  carried  on  a  "  Swat  the 

fly  "  campaign? 
Are  there  any  laws  regulating  the  sale  of  pure 

drugs  in  your  city? 
What  are  the  duties  of  the  milk  inspector  ? 
Why  is  a  carload  of  meat  sometimes  condemned 

by  the  food  inspector  ? 
Why  do  food  inspectors  examine  both  fresh  and 

canned  goods  ? 


70  Community  English 

C.  Police  Department 

In  your  city  are  policemen  elected  or  appointed? 

Are  they  controlled  by  the  city  or  by  the  state? 

Who  is  the  chief  or  superintendent  of  police  ? 

What  are  his  most  important  duties  ? 

What  is  meant  by  police  regulation  ? 
•     What  are  the  duties  of  poHce  magistrates? 

Why  are  policemen  often  called  the  city's  soldiers  ? 

How  do  policemen  regulate  traffic? 
'  What  is  the  meaning  of  each  of  the  following: 
patrolmen,  roundsmen,  sergeant,  harbor  police, 
mounted  police,  and  motor  cycle  squad? 

What  are  the  chief  qualifications  of  a  good  police- 
man? 

What  is  the  duty  of  a  policeman  when  he  finds  a 
lost  child? 

D.  PubHc  Service  Department 
]  a.  Garbage  disposal 

How  often  does  the  cartman  come  to  your  house 

to  collect  garbage  and  rubbish? 
Do  you  put  the  garbage  in  one  can,  the  ashes 

in  another,  and  the  refuse  in  still  another? 

Why? 
How  much  does  it  cost  your  city  each  year  to 

dispose  of  its  garbage? 
Is  garbage  collection  in  the  hands  of  a  private 

concern  which  sells  its  service  to  the  city? 
Do  you  know  of  any  vacant  lots  which  are  used 

as  a  dumping  ground  for  refuse? 
Does  your  city  make  an  effort  to  sell  part  of 

the  waste  material  collected? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  71 

Has  your  city  a  garbage  disposal  plant? 
Are  ashes  used  by  the  city  for  grading  streets? 
b.  Street  cleaning 

How  does  the  cleanliness  of  your  city  depend 
upon  the  work  of  the  street  cleaning  depart- 
ment? 
Why  is  it  important  that  the  streets  of  a  city 

be  well  paved  ? 
What   methods   of   street   cleaning   are   used 
in  your  locality?     Which  of  the  following 
methods  is  most  sanitary:  hand  sweeping, 
rotary  broom  sweeping,  or  flushing? 
How  much  does  it  cost  your  city  yearly  to  keep 
the  streets  clean?     Where  does  the  nioney 
come  from  to  maintain  this  department? 
Has  the  health  oihcer  anything  to  do  with  the 

work  of  the  street  cleaning  department? 
How  is   the  work  of  the  street  department 

managed  ? 
Are  the  streets  sprinkled  during  the  summer? 
What  is  done  with  a  heavy  fall  of  snow? 
Are  there  city  laws  against  throwing  refuse  into 

the  streets? 
What  is  your  part  in  keeping  the  city's  streets 
clean  ? 
E.  Fire  Department 

What,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  fire  department 
in  your  city?     When  was  it  organized,   and 
when  was  the  first  engine  purchased? 
What  is  the  most  common  cause  of  fires  in  your 
locality? 


72  Community  English 

Why  should  the  doors  of  all  public  buildings  open 

outward? 
Are  all  the  public  buildings  in  your  city  provided 

with  fire  escapes  ? 
Why  should  every  theater  have  a  fire  curtain? 
What  salary  are  the  firemen  in  your  city  paid? 

Where  does  the  money  come  from  to  maintain 

this  department? 
Do  the  firemen  receive  pensions  for  long  and 

faithful  service? 
Why  is  it  wrong  to  throw  a  lighted  match  into  a 

pile  of  dry  leaves,  or  to  throw  a  match  into  a 

waste  basket? 
Do  you  know  how  to  use  the  fire  escape  on  your 

school  building? 
Do  you  know  how  to  ring  in  an  alarm  of  fire  ? 
In  case  of  fire  in  a  motion  picture  theater,  what 

would  you  do? 
What  is  a  chemical  engine,  a  steam  fire  engine,  a 

hook   and   ladder  automobile    truck,  a  water 

tower,  a  life  net? 
Can  you  suggest  any  method  of  improving  the 

appearance  of  an  engine  house  in  your  com- 
munity? 
F.   Department  of  City  Streets 

Why  are  the  building  and  care  of  city  streets 

important  ? 
Under  whose  direction  is  this  work  carried  on  in 

your  city? 
Where  does  the  money  come  from  to  pay  for  the 

street  paving? 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  73 

Why  should  the  man  in  charge  of  this  work  be  an  ex- 
pert in  road  building? 
Why  are  paved  streets  of  importance  to  the  farmer,  to 

the  automobiUst,  to  the  merchant,  to  the  church, 

and  to  the  school? 
How  do  well  paved  streets  increase  the  value  of  real 

estate  in  a  city? 
How'many  kinds  of  paving  materials  are  used  in  your 

city? 
Are  the  pavements  in  the  business  section  of  the 

same  material  as  those  in  the  residential  section? 
Are   the   streets   of  your   city  lined  with  beautiful 

trees  ? 

3.   Judicial  Department 

Who  are  your  city  judges?  How  many  are  there? 
How  are  they  selected  or  appointed?  What  is 
their  term  of  office  ? 

What  is  the  meaning  of  "  petty  crimes  and  mis- 
demeanors "? 

How  do  the  juvenile  courts  try  to  prevent  boys  and 
girls  from  becoming  criminals?  In  what  way  is  a 
juvenile  court  unlike  an  ordinary  court? 

What  is  the  meaning  of  each  of  the  following :  arrest, 
warrant,  bail? 

What  is  the  difference  between  a  police  court  and  a 
criminal  court? 

Why  are  the  police  courts  not  classed  under  judicial 
department  courts? 

What  is  the  meaning  of  each  of  the  following :  proba- 
tion officer,  house  of  correction? 


74  Community  English 

//.    To  give  an  oral  report  of  a  current  event. 

Are  you  interested  in  up-to-date  items  of  interest? 
Where  are  such  items  usually  reported?  Are  you  in  the 
habit  of  reading  one  good  newspaper  regularly?  Do  you 
talk  over  news  items  with  your  parents  and  older  people? 
Do  you  discuss  them  with  boys  and  girls  of  your  own  age? 
How  would  you  like  to  have  a  regular  day  for  discussing 
these  up-to-date,  or  current  events,  in  class  ? 

In  many  schools,  current  event  day  is  the  most  interesting 
day  of  the  week.  Clippings  and  pictures  describing  and 
illustrating  the  items  of  interest  are  brought  into  class 
and  displayed  upon  the  bulletin  board,  and  one  section  of 
the  class  scrapbook  is  set  aside  as  a  permanent  record  for 
the  most  important  clippings.  At  first,  current  events 
may  be  reported  which  are  not  worth  discussing,  but  both 
class  and  teacher  act  as  a  board  of  censors  for  each  event 
reported. 

Should  you  decide  to  conduct  a  regular  current  event  day, 
you  may  be  helped  by  studying  the  following  instructions : 

Instructions.  —  '■^  \ 

1.  You  may  choose  any  current  event  which  interests 
you. 

2.  Be  prepared  to  tell  your  classmates  about  this  event. 

3.  You  will  be  Hmited  by  timekeepers  to  two  minutes 
for  your  discussion. 

4.  After  choosing  your  event,  ask  yourself  this  question : 
"  Will  all  my  classmates  be  interested  in  this  event?  " 

5.  At  first,  you  may  speak  from  an  outUne  if  you  wish. 

6.  At  the  beginning  of  your  summary,  state  the  source 
of  your  information.     Say  for  example,  "  In  the  St,  Louis 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  75 

Globe- Democrat  of  October  fifteenth,  I  read  an  interesting 
account  of  an  air  voyage  from  London  to  New  York 


7.  While  giving  your  summary,  be  sure  that  you  remem- 
ber to  stand  erect,  to  face  the  class,  and  to  speak  slowly  and 
distinctly  enough  for  all  to  hear. 

8.  If  the  topic  you  have  prepared  is  discussed  before  you 
are  called  upon,  arise,  state  that  fact,  but  state  also  the 
source  of  your  information  and  add  any  other  items  of 
interest. 

///.  To  investigate  and  report  on  one  of  the  important 
industries  in  your  community. 

Suggestions.  —  Doubtless  there  are  one  or  more  impor- 
tant industries  in  your  community  of  which  you  can  make 
an  investigation.  It  is  well  to  remember,  however,  that  a 
visit  must  not  be  made  to  any  industry  until  arrangements 
have  been  made  with  some  official  of  the  company.  Your 
teacher  will  accompany  you  upon  your  visit.  The  following 
list  of  industries  is  intended  to  be  merely  suggestive  of  some 
industry  in  your  own  locahty.  You  may  choose  any  of 
these:  a  furniture  factory,  a  printing  estabUshment,  a 
paper  mill,  a  shoe  factory,  a  banking  house,  a  depart- 
ment store,  a  restaurant,  a  stone  quarry,  an  ice  manu- 
facturing plant,  a  meat  market,  a  model  dairy,  a  meat 
packing  estabHshment,  a  large  farm,  or  a  telephone 
exchange. 

/  V,  To  give  a  brief  report  of  an  interview  with  some  suc- 
cessful person  in  your  community. 

Suggestions.  —  Perhaps  some  of  the  following  questions 
may  help  you  as  you  plan  your  interview : 


76  Community  English 

What  work  does  he  do? 
What  decided  him  to  do  this  kind  of  work? 
What  are  his  pleasures? 
Why  is  his  work  successful  ? 
What  service  does  he  render  to  his  fellow  men? 
Has  he  a  favorite  motto  or  rule  of  conduct? 
Has  he  a  special  message  for  you  to  carry  to  your  class- 
mates ? 

V.  To  make  a  report  on  a  job  in  shop  work  or  manual 
training. 

Suggestive  questions.  — 

What  was  the  job?     For  whom  was  it  done? 
What  materials  were  used? 
;    Were  there  any  trimmings? 

What  tools  or  machines  were  used? 

VI ,  To  investigate  and  make  a  report  on  the  development 
of  the  telephone. 

Suggestions.  —  For  the  development  of  the  telephone  you 
may  substitute  any  of  the  following  subjects : 

The  development  of  the  lumber  industry  in  the  United 
States 

The  agricultural  development  of  the  United  States 

The  development  in  methods  of  printing 

The  development  of  the  motion  picture 

The  evolution  of  methods  of  travel 

The  development  of  the  automobile 

The  development  of  the  aluminum  industry 

Improvements  in  farm  machinery 

The  develppment  of  the  oil  industry 


Oral  and  Written  Reports 


77 


The  development  of  the  iron  and  steel  industry 

The  development  of  the  textile  industries  (woolen  and 

cotton  goods) 

The  development  of  methods  of  communication 
The  development  in  methods  of  Hghting  or  heating 
The   development   of   commerce   or   industry   in   your 

community 

Evolution  in  food  products  (canned  foods,  etc.) 

VII.  To  give  a  report  of  work  undertaken  in  connection 
with  any  home  project  in  agriculture.  For  the  words  any  home 
project  in  agriculture  you  may  substitute  any  of  the  following: 
any  experiment  performed  in  the  laboratory,  any  work  under- 
taken in  domestic  science  or  household  arts,  or  any  lecture  or 
musical  entertainment  attended  by  you. 

VIII.  To  make  a  report  on  any  book  read  outside  of  class, 
or  to  report  on  the  outside  reading  you  have  done  during  the 
month. 

Suggestions.  — 

1 .  Keep  a  record  of  each  book  read. 

2.  Outhne  your  record  in  the  following  manner,  but 
when  your  report  is  given  state  your  answers  in  complete 
sentences. 


Title  of 
Book 


Author's 
Name 


Setting 


Historical 
back- 
ground 


Chief 
Characters 


Main  Idea 
OF  Book 


Opinions 


78  Community  English 

3.  Under  the  heading  "  setting  "  state  time  and  place 
of  action. 

4.  Under  the  heading  "  opinions  "  give  your  reasons 
for  Hking  or  disHking  the  story.  Be  sure  to  state  your  own 
ideas.  They  are  of  far  more  importance  in  your  report 
than  the  opinions  of  any  other  person. 

5.  If  possible,  arrange  to  have  one  or  more  shelves  in 
your  classroom  devoted  to  a  class  circulating  library. 

6.  Give  each  pupil  a  chance  to  bring  a  book  for  this 
shelf. 

7.  Each  book  must  be  approved  by  the  teacher. 

8.  Arrange  to  have  a  different  pupil  in  charge  of  these 
books  during  the  several  periods  of  the  day. 

9.  If  you  are  chosen  to  act  as  librarian  during  one  of 
these  periods,  take  especial  pains  to  record  neatly  in  a  note- 
book the  name  of  the  book  borrowed,  the  date,  and  the 
name  of  the  borrower. 

10.  Draw  up  such  other  rules  and  regulations  as  your 
class  thinks  necessary. 

11.  At  the  end  of  the  term  you  may  take  your  book  home 
or  you  may  leave  it  to  form  the  basis  of  a  permanent 
library. 

12.  Remember  that  your  book  may  be  lost.  You  must 
take  the  responsibihty  of  loaning  your  book  to  your  class- 
mates. 

IX.  To  look  up  any  of  the  following  subjects  in  an  en- 
cyclopedia and  to  make  an  outline  report  of  the  material  given: 
Hudson  Tube,  aeroplane^  subway,  submarine,  gyroscope, 
cyclometer,  nitroglycerine,  artificial  ice  making,  Panama 
Canal  Locks,  or  the  Erie  Barge  Canal:  . 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  79 

Suggestions.  —  After  reading  through  the  article  care- 
fully, jot  down  notes  of  the  main  points  to  be  remembered. 
Then  arrange  your  notes  in  the  form  of  an  outline  or  plan. 
From  the  great  mass  of  material  given  it  is  sometimes 
difficult  to  select  the  important  facts,  so  it  is  well  to  read  the 
article  several  times  before  you  complete  your  report. 

X.  To  make  a  report  in  outline  form  of  material  collected 
for  a  biographical  sketch. 

Suggestions.  —  Before  you  begin  the  work  of  this  Under- 
taking, look  up  the  meaning  of  the  word  biography.  What 
is  the  difference  between  a  biography  and  an  autobiography? 

T .   Choose  your  subject  from  the  following  list : 

A  biography  of  your  father  or  your  mother  • 

A  biography  of  Christopher  Columbus 

John  Smith 

George  Washington 

Samuel  Adams 

Henry  Clay 

Thomas  Jefferson 

Benjamin  Franklin 

Patrick  Henry 

Alexander  Hamilton 

Daniel  Webster 

Elias  Howe 

Eh  Whitney 

Robert  Fulton 

Nathaniel  Hawthorne 

Washington  Irving 

John  Greenleaf  Whittier 


8o  Community  English 

John  Paul  Jones 
Theodore  Roosevelt 
Thomas  A.  Edison 
Henry  W.  Longfellow 
S.  F.  B.  Morse 
Susan  B.  Anthony 
Eugene  Field 
Henry  Hudson 
Roger  Williams 
Peter  Stuyvesant 
Helen  Keller 
William  Penn 
Frances  E.  Willard 

2.  Find  out  all  you  can  about  your  subject. 

3.  In  a  small  book,  jot  down  notes  indicating  the  most 
important  facts  to  remember.  Expand  your  notes  to  form 
your  permanent  outline. 

4.  Ask  yourself  these  questions:  what  were  the  main 
ideas,  and  what  were  the  less  important  ideas?  Mention 
these  ideas  in  their  proper  order. 

5.  Consider  which  thoughts  belong  together  and  arrange 
them  according  to  this  connection. 

6.  Number  each  of  the  main  headings  with  a  Roman 
numeral  I,  II,  III,  IV.  These  numerals  generally  represent 
paragraphs. 

7.  The  word  or  words  directly  following  the  numerals 
tell  what  the  paragraph  is  about. 

8.  Underneath  the  main  headings  and  farther  to  the 
right,  place  the  details  which  explain  the  headings.  Indi- 
cate these  details  or  subdivisions  by  letters,  A,  B,  C, 
etc. 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  8l 

9.    Observe  the  rules  of  indentation  and  capitalization 
and  make  your  outline  as  brief  as  is  consistent  with  clearness. 
10.   When  arranging  your  material  you  may  use  the 
following  general  outline : 

Plan  for  biographical  sketch.  —  No  biographical  sketch 
can  be  made  to  fit  exactly  this  plan,  but  as  a  guide  to 
arrangement  of  material  you  will  find  it  helpful : 

Introduction.  —  Name  of  person,  why  famous. 

Discussion.  —  When  and  where  he  lived.  The  education, 
the  favorite  occupations,  and  the  habits  of  the  boy. 

The  chief  events  of  his  life  as  a  citizen,  given  in  the  order 
of  their  occurrence. 

Chief  characteristics. 

Death,  when  and  where. 

Conclusion.  —  Results  of  his  Hfe  upon  his  own  develop- 
ment. 

Service  to  others. 

Read  over  the  following  outline  carefully ;  it  may  serve 
as  a  guide  for  you  when  preparing  your  biographical  sketch  : 

The  Story  of  Louisa  May  Alcott 

Introduction.  —  American  author  popular  with  old  and 
young  for  more  than  forty  years. 

Birth  and  Infancy. — ^Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  No- 
vember, 1832  ;  moved  to  Boston,  1834;  moved  to  Concord, 
1840 ;  poverty ;  father  was  philosophical  writer  and  educator. 

Childhood  and  Youth.  —  Educated  by  father ;  fondness 
for  reading,  writing,  and  composition ;  favorite  occupations 
—  running,  jumping  fences,  climbing  trees,  and  acting  plays 
in  barn ;  a  tomboy  in  habits. 


82  Community  English 

Chief  Events  of  Life.  —  Seven  happy  years  at  "Hill- 
side '' ;  continued  poverty ;  apparent  failure  of  stories ;  vari- 
ous occupations  —  school  teacher,  seamstress,  companion, 
household  servant;  final  success  of  Little  Men,  Little 
Women,  An  Old-Fashioned  Girl,  and  hundreds  of  short 
stories  published  in  St.  Nicholas  and  The  Youth'' s  Companion. 

Death.  —  At  Boston,  Massachusetts,  March  6,  1888; 
mourned  by  thousands. 

Conclusion.  —  Characteristics  and  personal  appearance ; 
money  obtained  from  sale  of  books  used  in  adding  to  com- 
fort and  happiness  of  many  people. 

XL  To  make  a  report  in  outline  form  of  material  collected 
for  a  historical  sketch. 

Suggestions.  —  After  selecting  your  subject  and  gather- 
ing information  about  it,  arrange  your  material  in  the  same 
manner  as  suggested  in  the  Undertaking  just  preceding. 
You  may  choose  any  of  the  following  subjects : 

An  Outline  for  the  History  of  Your  Own  Community 

The  Landing  of  the  Pilgrims 

The  Boston  Tea  Party 

The  Battle  of  Lexington 

The  Building  of  the  Erie  Canal 

The  Search  by  Americans  for  the  North  Pole 

The  Panama  Canal 

The  Growth  of  a  Great  City  (New  York,  Chicago,  etc.) 

Life  on  a  Virginia  Plantation 

The  Burgoyne  Campaign 

The  Louisiana  Purchase 

The  Story  of  the  Building  of  a  Railroad 


Oral  and  Written  Reports  83 

Life  on  a  Western  Wheat  Farm 

The  Pittsburgh  Steel  Industry 

Shipbuilding  at  Fore  River 

The  Journey  of  Lewis  and  Clark 

America's  Part  in  the  World  War 

America  and  the  League  of  Nations 

Early-Day  Amusements 

The  Struggle  of  American  Women  for  the  Ballot 

Plan  for  historical  sketch.  —  You  may  arrange  your  topics 
according  to  the  following  plan,  if  you  wish,  using  exact, 
expressive  words : 

Introduction.  —  Your  subject,  why  important. 

Discussion.  —  What  led  to  the  subject  discussed? 
Principal  characters  in  the  event.  Details,  given  in  order 
of  occurrence. 

Conclusion.  —  Effect  produced  —  upon  the  Kfe  of  the 
time  and  upon  the  future  history  of  the  country. 

Before  writing  your  historical  sketch,  read  carefully  the 
following  outline : 

Burgoyne's  Invasion 

Introduction.  —  Important  event  of  Revolution.  Its 
influence  on  the  result. 

Purpose.  — To  divide  the  country  Burgoyne  went  south 
to  meet  Clinton,  who  went  north  from  New  York  City. 

Time  and  Place.  June-October,  1777.  Canada;  New 
York;  Vermont. 

Principal  Characters.  —  Stark,  Gates,  Schuyler;  Bur- 
goyne, St.  Neger,  Baum.     Duty  of  each. 


84  Community  English 

Details.  —  Eight  thousand  men,  Enghsh,  Hessians,  In- 
dian AUies ;  route  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain  and  the 
Hudson  River;  capture  of  Forts  Ticonderoga,  Crown 
Point,  and  Edward.  Battles  of  Saratoga.  Surrender  of 
army. 

Conclusion.  Americans  encouraged ;  France  acknowl- 
edged independence.  Victory  was  greatest  influence  in 
ending  Revolution. 

A  class  sketchbook.  —  If,  after  making  your  outhnes  for 
biographical  and  historical  sketches,  you  write  the  sketches, 
they  may  be  arranged  and  filed  in  a  class  sketchbook.  Such 
a  book  is  in  form  like  the  class  booklet  and  is  made  by  a 
group  of  pupils  from  the  class  chosen  to  do  this  work. 


PART  IV.     THE   USE   OF   REFERENCE 
BOOKS 

If  you  are  to  become  a  well-informed  instead  of  an 
ignorant  person,  you  will  need  to  become  skillful  in  handling 
the  tools  you  have  to  use ;  for  not  until  then  will  you  be 
able  to  undertake  new  tasks  alone.  You  must  know  how 
to  use  letters,  words,  sentences,  paragraphs,  and  books. 
The  dictionary,  encyclopedia,  atlas,  index,  and  gazetteer 
are  treasure  houses  of  valuable  information.  Indeed,  so 
valuable  a  tool  is  the  dictionary  that  you  will  need  to  use 
it  almost  every  day.  Does  it  hot  seem  worth  while,  there- 
fore, to  learn  how  to  use  it  efficiently?  Fortunately,  you 
will  find  that  learning  how  to  use  the  dictionary  and  other 
books  of  reference  is  not  a  difficult  task,  but  like  piano 
playing  it  requires  practice.  Many  boys  and  girls  have 
greatly  enjoyed  doing  the  work  suggested  in  this  your 
fourth 

UNDERTAKING 

To  collect  data  from  reference  books:  the  diction- 
ary, the  encyclopedia,  the  gazetteer,  the  atlas,  the  card 
catalogue,  the  dictionary  of  quotations,  a  general  maga- 
zine index,  a  book  index,  a  table  of  contents.  Who's 
Who,  and  World  Almanac. 

Suggestive  questions.  —  Be  prepared  to  answer  the 
following  questions : 

8s 


The  Use  of  Reference  Books  87 

1 .  What  is  a  dictionary  ?  Name  three  large  dictionaries 
you  have  used. 

2.  What  five  things  about  a  word  can  you  find  out  by 
looking  it  up  in  a  dictionary  ? 

3.  What  does  the  word  vocabulary  mean? 

4.  What  are  dictionary  guide  words?  How  do  they 
help  you  locate  a  word  ? 

5.  What  do  these  marks  mean  when  they  are  placed 
above  a  word,  (') ,  (")  ? 

6.  Is  the  accent  mark  used  with  words  of  one  syllable? 

7.  In  a  dictionary,  the  first  letter  of  each  word  is 
arranged  alphabetically ;  how  are  the  second,  the  third,  and 
the  fourth  letters  arranged? 

8.  What  is  the  correct  pronunciation  of  the  following: 
inquiry,  address,  allies,  accHmated,  apparatus,  parochial, 
architect,  ordeal,  illustrate,  accent,  magazine,  government, 
recess,  municipal,  conduit,  and  oleomargarine? 

9.  Which  of  the  following  words  are  written  as  one  word 
with  a  hyphen,  which  are  written  as  a  compound  word 
without  a  hyphen,  and  which  are  written  as  two  separate 
words :  post  office,  post  master,  air  ship,  base  ball,  basket 
ball,  note  book,  scrap  book,  dress  maker,  to  day,  to  morrow, 
sun  beam,  head  ache,  horse  power,  all  right,  work  shop, 
every  day,  and  rail  road? 

10.  What  do  these  marks  mean  (-),  (^),  when  placed 
above  a  vowel,  in  words  ? 

11.  What  is  a  word  called  which  has  almost  the  same 
meaning  as  another  word?  Give  ten  examples  of  such 
words. 

12.  What  is  a  word  called  which  has  the  same  sound  as 
another  word,  but  is  different  in  meaning? 


88  Community  English 

Word  contests.  —  At  least  once  a  month,  be  prepared 
to  take  part  in  one  or  another  of  these  word  contests.  You 
will  win  the  contests  more  easily  if  you  learn  to  open  the 
dictionary  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  first  letter  of  the  word 
pronounced,  and  then  turn  the  leaves  rapidly  to  the  right 
or  left.  Use  either  hand  and  turn  the  pages  with  the  index 
fingers. 

The  first  contest  may  be  conducted  in  the  following 
manner : 

1.  Upon  the  teacher's  desk  at  the  front  of  the  room, 
place  a  large  dictionary. 

2.  Ask  your  teacher  to  pronounce  a  list  of  simple  words 
—  such  as  boy,  dog,  horse,  cow. 

3.  Await  your  turn  to  go  to  the  dictionary,  but  as  soon 
as  called  upon,  go  quickly. 

4.  When  you  say,  "  ready,"  the  teacher  will  pronounce  a 
word. 

5.  Find  that  word  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

6.  Two  of  your  classmates  will  act  as  timekeepers. 
Each  must  be  provided  with  a  watch  having  a  second  hand. 

7.  As  soon  as  you  have  found  the  word  assigned  to  you, 
one  of  the  timekeepers  will  write  your  name  upon  the  black- 
board, and  after  your  name  will  write  the  number  of  seconds 
or  minutes  that  it  takes  yoii  to  find  the  word. 

8.  The  pupil  who  requires  the  fewest  seconds  in  which  to 
locate  a  word,  wins  the  contest. 

9.  In  every  contest  your  teacher  will  act  as  referee. 

The  second  contest  is  almost  as  interesting  as  the  first : 

I.  Try  to  arrange  alphabetically,  before  any  of  your 
classmates  can  do  so,  a  Hst  of  words  written  upon  the 


The  Use  of  Reference  Books  89 

blackboard  by  your  teacher.  The  words  may  be  taken 
from  the  dictionary  or  the  telephone  directory  and  time- 
keepers will  keep  the  score  as  in  the  former  contest. 

2.  There  may  be  several  different  kinds  of  lists  of  words, 
for  example : 

a.  When  the  first  letters  are  not  alike 

h.  When  only  the  first  letters  are  alike 

c.  When  the  first  two  letters  are  alike 

d.  When  all  letters  are  alike  until  the  ninth  or  tenth, 
as  entertaining,  entertainment 

The  third  word  contest  is  simple  in  nature : 

I.   Try  to  write  the  greatest  number  of  synonyms  for 

each  word  in  a  list  of  words,  placed  upon  the  blackboard  by 

your  teacher. 

Additional  suggestions.  —  In  a  notebook  keep  a  New 
Word  List.  Write  down  at  least  one  new  word  every  day. 
Use  this  word  in  your  conversation  and  in  your  written 
work  until  you  have  made  it  your  own.  For  one  week, 
make  a  list  of  the  words  you  hear  mispronounced.  Bring 
this  list  to  class  and,  as  you  read  the  list,  correct  the  mis- 
takes.    Be  prepared  to  give  reasons  for  your  corrections. 

Instructions  for  use  of  encyclopedias.  — 

I.  Go  to  any  hbrary  and  ask  to  see  an  encyclopedia. 
Glance  at  several  pages  to  see  what  kind  of  book  it  is. 
Be  prepared  to  answer  the  following  questions  concerning 

it: 

a.  What  is  an  encyclopedia? 

h.  Is  it  one  book  or  more  than  one? 

c.  How  are  the  articles  arranged? 

d.  Can  you  find  a  subject  easily? 


90  Community  English 

e.  Are  the  articles  longer  or  shorter  than  those  in  a 

dictionary? 
/.   Do  the  articles  explain  one  word  or  one  subject? 
g.  Are  many  pictures  used  in  illustration? 

2.  Read  over  any  one  article  which  interests  you. 
Write  down,  in  not  more  than  two  sentences,  the  most 
important  fact  or  truth  in  the  article. 

3.  In  class  announce  the  subject  of  the  article  you  read 
and  state  the  important  fact  about  it.  State  the  name  of 
the  encyclopedia  you  used. 

4.  Remember  that  it  is  easy  to  locate  a  subject  in  an 
encyclopedia  but  that  it  is  difficult  to  select  the  most  im- 
portant fact  about  that  subject. 

Questions  on  other  reference  books.  — 

1.  What  is  an  index?  Is  it  found  at  the  front  or  at  the 
back  of  a  book? 

2.  Does  every  book  have  an  index?  How  is  an  index 
arranged? 

3.  How  is  a  table  of  contents  different  from  an  index? 
Why  do  many  books  have  both? 

4.  If  you  wish  to  locate  a  fact  very  quickly,  which  do 
vou  consult  first,  table  of  contents  or  index? 

5.  Examine  any  two  magazines.  Do  they  have  index 
and  table  of  contents? 

6.  What  is  a  general  magazine  index?  Of  what  use  is 
it  in  helping  to  locate  some  definite  magazine  article,  for 
example,  a  discussion  of  wireless  telephones? 

7.  What  is  a  gazetteer?  Where  is  it  found  in  the  dic- 
tionary, at  the  front  or  at  the  back?  Is  it  a  separate  part 
of  the  dictionary? 


The  Use  of  Reference  Books  91 

8.  What  is  an  atlas? 

9.  What  three  questions  about  a  book  does  a  card 
catalogue  answer  for  you? 

10.  Suppose  you  wish  to  know  the  area  and  population 
of  Alaska.     Where  can  you  obtain  the  information  ? 

11.  Suppose  you  are  fond  of  a  certain  quotation  but  do 
not  know  who  wrote  it.  How  can  you  find  out  the  name 
of  the  author? 

12.  Imagine  that,  while  preparing  for  a  debate,  it 
becomes  necessary  for  you  to  know  the  names  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  State,  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  the  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court.  Of  what  service  would  a  Congres- 
sional Directory  be  in  helping  you  to  obtain  the  desired 
information  ? 

13.  Pretend  that  your  class  wishes  to  stage  a  pageant 
written  by  Percy  MacKaye.  It  is  necessary  for  you  to 
obtain  Mr.  MacKaye's  permission.  How  can  Who's  Who 
help  you  to  obtain  Mr.  MacKaye's  correct  address?  What 
other  interesting  information  about  Mr.  MacKaye  can  you 
obtain  from  Who's  Who? 

14.  Look  up  the  words  reference  books  in  the  index  of  this 
book ;  then  look  up  the  same  words  in  its  table  of  contents. 
Note  where  you  found  the  words  more  easily. 

15.  Find  the  name  of  your  own  city  or  town  in  an  atlas. 

16.  Ask  your  teacher  to  take  your  class  to  a  library  and 
there  give  you  a  talk  on  the  use  of  reference  books.  If  you 
wish,  you  may  choose  a  committee  from  your  class  to 
request  the  librarian  to  give  this  talk. 

17.  Be  prepared  to  look  up  in  reference  books,  certain 
questions  assigned  by  your  teacher.  Keep  a  record  of  the 
time  required  to  locate  the  references  assigned. 


g2  Community  English 

1 8.  If  your  teacher  wishes,  you  may  help  her  make  a 
collection  of  interesting  pictures  and  clippings  for  clasc 
reference.  This  work  should  be  done  in  connection  with 
your  bulletin  board  Undertaking,  but  should  be  indexed 
and  arranged  as  is  a  library  book. 

19.  Look  up  any  three  subjects  in  the  World  Almanac, 
then  assign  the  same  three  subjects  to  one  of  your  class- 
mates and  ask  him  to  report  to  you  the  length  of  time 
required  for  him  to  find  them. 


PART   V.     POSTERS   AND    CHARTS 

Have  you  ever  stood  before  a  store  window  or  great 
billboard  and  gazed  with  keenest  interest  at  the  pictured 
description  of  a  circus?  If  you  have,  you  know  that  such 
wordless  descriptions  can  give  a  great  deal  of  information 
about 

"All  the  sights  at  the  animal  show, 
Where  lions  and  bears  sit  on  dining  room  chairs, 
Where  a  camel  is  able  to  stand  on  the  table, 
Where  monkeys  and  seals  all  travel  on  wheels, 
And  a  Zulu  baboon  rides  a  baby  balloon." 

Perhaps,  more  recently,  you  have  read  a  poster  announcing 
the  latest  Motion  Picture.  At  any  rate,  you  know  that  a 
poster  is  a  large  bill  or  placard  displayed  in  some  public 
place. 

Doubtless  you  would  enjoy  making  posters  similar  to 
these :  of  your  favorite  house,  or  of  Uncle  Sam,  or  of  Hia- 
watha. Possibly  you  would  like  better  to  help  your  class- 
mates make  a  series  of  posters  descriptive  of  the  fur-bearing 
animals  of  North  America  or  of  the  production  of  maple 
sugar  in  your  own  community.  Indeed,  you  will  have  no 
difficulty  in  choosing  a  subject  which  interests  you,  and  the 
making  of  the  poster  will  prove  interesting  work,  but  to 
write  the  paragraph  of  description,  which  each  poster  must 
contain,  may  prove  a  more  difficult  task.  In  order  that 
you  may  know  how  to  write  your  paragraph  it  will  be 

93 


94  Community  English 

necessary  to  read  carefully  the  following  selections  and  to 
answer  certain  questions  concerning  them: 

Specimen  paragraphs.  — 

Japanese  Books 

Japanese  Books  are  very  odd-looking  affairs  to  us.  Not  only 
are  they  printed  in  very  large  characters,  but  they  seem  quite 
upside  down.  To  find  the  first  page  you  turn  to  the  end  of  the 
book,  and  you  read  it  backwards  to  the  front  page.  Again  you 
do  not  read  from  lett  to  right,  as  in  our  fashion,  but  from  right 
to  left.  Nor  is  this  all :  for  the  lines  do  not  run  across  the  page, 
but  up  and  down.  Altogether,  a  Japanese  book  is  at  first  a 
very  puzzling  affair.  When  the  writing  lesson  comes,  the 
children  have  no  pens;  they  use  brushes  instead.  They  dip 
their  brushes  in  the  ink,  and  paint  the  words  one  under  the 
other,  beginning  at  the  top  right-hand  corner  and  finishing  at 
the  bottom  left-hand  corner.  If  they  have  an  address  to  write 
on  the  envelope,  they  turn  that  upside  down  and  begin  with  the 
name  of  the  country  and  finish  with  the  name  of  the  person,  — 
England,  London,  Brown  John  Mr. 

John  Finnemore:  Japan 

When  the  author  wrote  this  paragraph,  he  arranged  his 
ideas  according  to  a  plan,  Hke  this : 

Japanese  Books 
I.   Reading  books  are  odd,  for, 

a.  They  are  printed  in  large  characters 

b.  The  front  page  is  at  the  back  of  the  book 

c.  They  read  from  left  to  right 

d.  Their  lines  run  up  and  down 


Posters  and  Charts  95 

2.   Their  writing  books  are  odd,  for, 

a.  The  words  are  painted  instead  of  written 

b.  The  address  is  written  backward 

You  will  also  note  that  in  form  this  paragraph  is  like  a 
tree.  It  has  one  main  idea  as  the  tree  has  one  trunk,  and 
all  of  the  sentences  grow  out  of  that  idea,  as  the  branches 
grow  from  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  If  you  were  to  draw  a 
diagram  of  this  paragraph  your  sketch  might  look  like  this : 


96  Community  English 

An  Orderly  School 

Never  was  seen  such  an  orderly  school.  Not  a  boy  or  girl 
moved,  or  uttered  a  whisper.  The  Griffin  cHmbed  into  the 
master's  seat,  his  wide  wings  spread  on  each  side  of  him,  be- 
cause he  could  not  lean  back  in  his  chair  while  they  stuck  out 
behind,  and  his  great  tail  coiled  around,  in  front  of  the  desk, 
the  barbed  end  sticking  up,  ready  to  rap  any  boy  or  girl  who 
might  misbehave.  The  Griffin  now  addressed  the  scholars, 
telling  them  that  he  intended  to  teach  them  while  their  master 
was  away.  In  speaking  he  endeavored  to  imitate,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  mild  and  gentle  tones  of  the  Minor  Canon,  but  it 
must  be  admitted  that  in  this  he  was  not  very  successful.  He 
had  paid  a  good  deal  of  attention  to  the  studies  of  the  school, 
and  he  determined  not  to  teach  them  anything  new,  but  to 
review  them  in  what  they  had  been  studying ;  so  he  called  up 
the  various  classes,  and  questioned  them  upon  their  previous 
lessons.  The  children  racked  their  briiins  to  remember  what 
they  had  learned.  They  Were  so  afraid  of  the  Griffin's  dis- 
pleasure that  they  recited  as  they  had  never  recited  before. 

Frank  R.  Stockton  :  The  Griffin  and  the  Minor  Canon 

Is  this  a  paragraph  ?  Where  can  you  find  a  definition  of 
paragraph?  In  the  model  given,  underscore  the  topic  sen- 
tence. Is  this  sentence  at  the  beginning,  middle,  or  end? 
Do  all  other  sentences  grow  out  of  the  topic  sentence  ? 

The  First  Schoolhouses 

The  first  schoolhouses  in  the  Middle  colonies  were  of  logs 
almost  exclusively.  The  earlier  ones  had  a  rough  wooden  floor, 
if  they  had  any  floor  at  all.  Often  there  was  only  the  bare 
earth  which  the  children's  feet  soon  rendered  very  dusty.  On 
occasion  the  youngsters  would  purposely  stir  up  this  dust  in 
clouds  to  annoy  the  teacher  and  amuse  their  fellows.     Sticks 


Posters  and  Charts  '       97 

were  inserted  between  the  logs  around  the  sides  of  the  room  at  a 
convenient  height,  and  boards  were  nailed  on  them  to  serve  as 
desks.  Roofs  were  of  bark,  and  at  one  end  of  the  building  was 
a  chimney  of  short  logs  laid  up  cobhouse  fashion  and  daubed 
with  clay.  Many  of  the  schoolhouses  had  no  glass  in  their 
windows.  But  the  paper  that  served  instead  was  greased  with 
lard  to  make  it  transparent  and  less  easily  affected  by  water. 
Clifton  Johnson-:  Old  Time  Schools  and  School  Books 

Draw  some  sort  of  diagram  to  show  that  all  the  sentences 
in  this  paragraph  grow  out  of  just  one  idea.  Where  is  the 
topic  sentence  in  this  paragraph?  What  other  name  might 
be  given  to  the  topic  sentence? 

A  Scene  on  Cape  Cod 

The  little-  toy  windmill  was  one  of  a  dozen,  all  fastened  to  the 
top  rail  of  the  fence  and  all  whirling.  Behind  the  fence,  on  posts, 
were  other  and  larger  windmills;  behind  these,  others  larger 
still.  Interspersed  among  the  mills  were  little  wooden  sailors 
swinging  paddles;  weather  vanes  in  the  shapes  of  wooden 
whales,  swordfish,  ducks,  crows,  seagulls ;  circles  of  little  wooden 
profile  sailboats  made  to  chase  each  other  round  and  round  a 
central  post.  All  of  these  were  painted  in  gay  colors,  or  in 
black  and  white,  and  all  were  in  motion.  The  mills  spun,  the 
boats  sailed  round  and  round,  the  sailors  did  vigorous  Indian 
club  exercises  with  their  paddles.  The  grass  in  the  little  yard 
and  the  tall  hollyhocks  in  the  beds  at  its  sides  swayed  and  bowed 
and  nodded.  Beyond,  seen  over  the  edge  of  the  bluff  and 
stretching  to  the  horizon,  the  blue  and  white  waves  leaped  and 
danced  and  sparkled.  As  a  picture  of  movement  and  color 
and  joyful  bustle  the  scene  was  inspiring ;  children,  viewing  it 
for  the  first  time,  almost  invariably  danced  and  waved  their 
arms  in  sympathy.     Summer  visitors,  loitering  idly  by,  suddenly 


98  Community  English 

became  fired  with  the  desire  to  set  about  doing  something,  some- 
thing energetic. 

At  the  rear  of  the  little  yard,  and  situated  perhaps  fifty  feet 
from  the  edge  of  the  high  sand  bluff  leading  down  precipitously 
to  the  beach,  was  a  shingled  building,  whitewashed,  and  with  a 
door,  painted  green,  and  four  windows  on  the  side  toward  the 
road.  A  clamshell  walk  led  from  the  gate  to  the  doors.  Over 
the  door  was  a  sign,  very  neatly  lettered,  as  follows:  "J. 
Edgar  W.  Winslow.  Mills  For  Sale."  In  the  lot  next  to 
that,  where  the  httle  shop  stood,  was  a  small,  old-fashioned 
story-and-a-half  Cape  Cod  house,  painted  a  speckless  white,  with 
vivid  green  bUnds.  The  bUnds  were  shut  now,  for  the  house 
was  unoccupied.  House  and  shop  and  both  yards  were  neat 
and  clean  as  a  New  England  kitchen. 

Joseph  C.  Lincoln:  Shavings 

Why  is  this  description  of  a  Cape  Cod  scene  especially 
interesting?  Does  the  author  change  his  point  of  view 
when  he  describes  the  rear  yard?  What  are  the  topic 
sentences  of  these  paragraphs?  Where  are  they?  Where 
else  might  they  be  and  still  be  in  emphatic  positions? 

Having  read  carefully  the  preceding  model  paragraphs 
and  having  answered  the  questions  based  upon  them,  you 
are  now  ready  for  your  fifth 

UNDERTAKING 

To  make  an  illustrated  poster  of  a  person  which 
shall  contain  a  descriptive  paragraph. 

Instructions  for  making  the  poster.  — 

I.  Upon  a  sheet  of  plain,  heavy  paper  about  i8X  22 
inches  in  size,  arrange  the  illustrations,  diagrams,  written 
paragraphs,  and  notes  which  make  up  your  exhibit. 


J  J,  »  »  » 


Posters  and  Charts '•''''''''' '    ''g'9' 

2.  This  paper  may  be  any  heavy  mounting  paper  such 
as  wrapping  paper,  ingrain  wall  paper,  bogus  paper,  kraft 
paper,  or  tailors'  pattern  paper. 

3.  Illustrate  your  subject  with  pictures  cut  from  old 
magazines,  folders  —  automobile,  steamship,  or  railroad  — 
newspapers,  and  advertisements. 

4.  Prepare  a  neat,  well-written  paragraph  describing  or 
explaining  your  illustrations.  Be  sure  that  you  begin  the 
first  Hne  of  the  paragraph  about  an  inch  to  the  right  of  the 
margin.    This  is  called  Indentation. 

5.  Arrange  your  exhibit  as  neatly  and  artistically  as  pos- 
sible.    Consult  your  drawing  teacher  about  this  if  you  wish. 

6.  Do  not  show  your  poster  to  your  teacher  or  your 
classmates  until  it  is  finished.  Before  you  hand  it  in,  make 
sure  that  it  is  your  best  work.  The  posters  will  be  dis- 
played upon  the  walls  of  the  classroom  and  there  will  be  no 
opportunity  to  make  corrections. 

7.  Be  prepared  to  discuss  the  posters  submitted  by  your 
classmates  for  paragraph  form,  point  of  view,  clearness, 
neatness,  and  attractiveness. 

Instructions  for  making  the  paragraph.  — 

I.   Choose  from  the  following  list  of  subjects  a  title  for 
your  poster : 
a.  Subjects  based  upon  Hterature 

Ichabod  Crane  Evangeline 

Brom  Bones  Hiawatha 

Katrina  Van  Tassel  The  Pied  Piper 

John  Alden  Horatius 

Priscilla  The  Village  Blacksmith 

Miles  Standish  Ivanhoe 


tod 


'' ' "  Community  English 


b.  Subjects  based  upon  history 


Daniel  Boone 
Henry  W.  Longfellow 
John  Greenleaf  Whittier 
Nathaniel  Hawthorne 
Julia  Ward  Howe 
Frances  E.  Willard 
John  J.  Pershing 
Alexander  Hamilton 


George  Washington 
Abraham  Lincoln 
Theodore  Roosevelt 
WiUiam  McKinley 
Ulysses  S.  Grant 
Philip  Sheridan 
Robert  E.  Lee 
Herbert  Hoover 


c.  Subjects  based  upon  geography 


An  Eskimo 
An  Indian 
A  Japanese 
A  Chinaman 

d.  General  subjects 

A  Mischievous  Boy 
A  Boy  Scout 
The  Postman 
An  Organ  Grinder 
The  Baby 


A  Frenchman 
A  Belgian  Woman 
An  Itahan  Child 
A  Filipino 

An  American  Soldier  or 

Sailor 
Santa  Claus 
John  Bull 
Uncle  Sam 


2.  Jot  down  the  most  important  characteristics  of  the 
appearance  of  the  person  you  are  to  describe. 

3.  Give   the   general  impression   first,    then   state   the 
details. 

4.  Arrange  the  details  in  some  natural  order,  from  foot 
to  head  or  from  head  to  foot. 

5.  Try  to  make  your  description  true  to  life. 

6.  Use  very  simple,  definite  words. 

7.  Read  the  following  paragraphs  and  notice  whether 


Posters  and  Charts     ;  ;'  WI'n 

the  authors  mention  all  these  characteristics  or  only  the 
most  important : 

age,  coloring,  size,  eyes,  clothing,  actions,  hair. 

Descriptive  paragraphs.  — 

There  were  over  a  dozen  children  before  the  footlights.  The 
smallest  of  them  was  a  very,  very  little  girl  with  long  auburn 
hair  and  black  eyes ;  such  a  very  little  girl  that  every  one  in  the 
house  looked  at  her  first,  and  then  looked  at  no  one  else.  She 
had  big  gentle  eyes  and  wonderful  dimples,  and  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  dancing  and  the  singing,  her  eyes  laughed  and 
flashed,  and  the  dimples  deepened  and  disappeared  and  re- 
appeared again. 

Richard  Harding  Davis  :  Van  Bibber  and  Others 

Buddy  was  about  twelve  years  old,  and  his  eyes  shone  from 
a  dirty  face  like  two  blue  patches  of  summer  sky  through  shower- 
promising  clouds.  One  of  his  shoes  was  intended  for  a  male 
person  and  the  other,  from  which  he  had  removed  the  high 
heel,  had  been  made  for  a  female.    His  coat  had  been  cut  for  a 

man. 

John  A.  Moroso  :  Buddy  and  Waffles 

He  is  hatless  and  coatless,  and  his  tumbled  snow-white  hair 

and  beard  are  like  a  halo  about  his  head.    The  sun,  peeping  over 

the  mountain  top,  seems  to  caress  him.     Its  rays  fall  upon  him 

like  a  benediction. 

Elbert  Hubbard  :  John  Burroughs 

The  door  which  moved  with  difficulty  on  its  creaking  and 
rusty  hinges,  being  forced  quite  open,  a  square  and  sturdy  little 
urchin  became  apparent,  with  cheeks  as  red  as  an  apple.  He  was 
clad  in  a  blue  apron,  very  wide  and  short  trousers,  shoes  some- 
what out  at  the  toes,  and  a  straw  hat  with  his  curly  hair  stick- 


ib^  ' r f , , :  /A  ,  -Community  English 

ing  through  its  crevices.    A  book  and  a  small  slate  under  his 
arm  indicated  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  school. 

Nathaniel  Hawthorne  :  The  House  of  Seven  Gables 

Henry  Chatillon,  our  guide  and  hunter,  rode  ahead,  mounted 
on  a  hardy  Wyandot  pony.  He  wore  a  white  blanket-coat, 
a  broad  hat  of  felt,  moccasins,  and  trousers  of  deer-skin,  orna- 
mented along  the  seams  with  rows  of  long  fringes.  His  knife 
was  stuck  in  his  belt ;  his  bullet-pouch  and  powder-horn  hung 
at  his  side,  and  his  rifle  lay  before  him,  resting  against  the  high 

pommel  of  his  saddle. 

Francis  Parkman  :  The  Oregon  Trail 

It  was  the  most  extraordinary-looking  little  gentleman  he  had 
ever  seen  in  his  life.  He  had  a  very  large  nose,  slightly  brass- 
colored  ;  his  cheeks  were  very  round,  and  very  red,  his  eyes 
twinkled  merrily  through  the  long  silken  lashes,  his  mustaches 
curled  twice  around  like  a  corkscrew  on  each  side  of  his  mouth, 
and  his  hair,  of  a  curious  mixed  pepper-and-salt  color,  descended 

far  over  his  shoulders. 

John  Ruskin  :  The  King  of  the  Golden  River 

SIMILAR    UNDERTAKING 

I.    To  make  an  illustrated  poster  of  a  building. 
Instructions.  — 

1.  Pretend  that  you  are  a  photographer  and  take  a  trip 
through  your  village  or  city. 

2.  When  you  have  found  the  building  that  interests  you 
most  —  the  following  list  of  subjects  may  help  you  decide 
—  jot  down  its  most  interesting  features,  but  Do  Not 
Move  Your  Camera,  that  is,  do  not  change  your 
point  of  view.  Your  point  of  view  is  the  place  where  you 
stand  when  you  see  the  building. 


Posters  and  Charts  103 

List  of  Subjects : 

My  Favorite  House  A  Haunted  House 

An  Attractive  Garage  The  City  Hall 
A  Beautiful  School  Building   The  Court  House 

Our  Church  The  Public  Library 

A  Business  Block  The  Art  Gallery 

The  Fire  Station  The  Gymnasium 

The  Old  Cabin  The  City  Club  House 

A  Vine-Covered  Cottage  The  Light  House 

A  Modern  Hotel  A  New  Factory  Building 

The  Old  Tavern  A  Deserted  Home 

3.  Remember  that  every  building  has  a  roof  and  walls 
and  windows  and  doors.  If  you  mention  only  these  things, 
you  will  not  describe  the  building  at  all.  Try  to  pick  out 
the  features  which  make  the  building  you  are  describing 
different  from  other  buildings. 

4.  Ask  yourself  these  questions  when  you  are  ready  to 
write  your  paragraph :  How  am  I  going  to  begin  ?  What 
am  I  going  to  say?     How  am  I  going  to  stop? 

5.  Read  over  the  following  selections  very  carefully  to 
find  out  how  many  of  these  features  are  mentioned  in  each 
paragraph:  location,  shape,  color,  size,  material  of  which 
building  is  made,  beauty,  and  surroundings. 

Buck  lived  at  a  big  house  in  the  sun-kissed  Santa  Clara  valley. 
Judge  Miller's  place,  it  was  called.  It  stood  back  from  the 
road,  half  hidden  among  the  trees,  through  which  glimpses 
could  be  caught  of  the  wide  cool  veranda  that  ran  around  its 
four  sides.  The  house  was  approached  by  gravelled  driveways 
which  wound  about  through  wide-spreading  lawns  and  under 
the  interlacing  boughs  of  tall  poplars. 

Jack  London  :  The  Call  of  the  Wild 


I04  Community  English 

Just  in  the  edge  of  the  village,  on  a  four-acre  plot  of  rich  level 
ground,  stood  an  old  two-story  frame  cottage.  It  was  not 
beautiful  but  it  was  sheltered  on  the  south  by  three  enormous 
maples  and  its  gate  fronted  upon  a  double  row  of  New  England 
elms  whose  branches  almost  arched  the  wide  street.  Its  gardens, 
rich  in  grape  vines,  asparagus  beds,  plums,  raspberries  and  other 
fruiting  shrubs,  appealed  with  especial  power  to  my  mother 
who  had  lived  so  long  on  the  sun-baked  plains  that  the  sight  of 
green  things  growing  was  very  precious  in  her  eyes. 

Hamlin  Garland  :  A  Son  of  the  Middle  Border 

A  little  back  from  the  road,  seated  directly  on  the  green  sod, 
rose  a  plain  wooden  building,  two  stories  in  front  with  a  long 
roof  sloping  backwards  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  ground.  The 
walls  were  unpainted,  but  turned  by  the  action  of  the  sun  and 
air  to  a  quiet  dove  or  slate  color. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  :  Elsie  Venner 


Past  the  grey  church  and  down  the  hill,  at  the  edge  of  the  great 
green  meadow,  and  a  bit  apart  from  the  village,  I  found  our 
house,  with  its  wooden  shutters  and  its  white  door  closed,  a 
quaint  brick  cottage,  waiting  for  life  to  come  to  it  again.  It 
has  a  brick  front  walk,  and  a  brick  wall  stands  about  it,  save 
at  the  back,  where  the  stream  that  skirts  the  meadow  flows  at 
the  very  garden  edge.  Can  you  see  it,  the  wistaria,  the  wood- 
bine, the  honeysuckle  over  the  wee  porch,  the  climbing,  droop- 
ing, straggling  vines  that  make  the  whole  house  look  oddly 
like  a  Skye  terrier? 

Margaret  Sherwood  :  The  Worn  Doorstep 

II.  To  make  a  chart  or  poster  dealing  with  one  of  the 
important  natural  jesources  of  the  United  States. 


Posters  and  Charts 


loS 


Instructions.  — 

1.  In  this  Undertaking  you  will  give  a  short  talk  to 
explain  your  poster  but  you  need  not  write  the  paragraph 
of  explanation. 

2.  Choose  as  the  subject  of  your  poster  any  important 
natural  resource  of  the  United  States.  The  following  list 
is  merely  suggestive.     You  may  use  it,  or  not,  as  you  wish. 


a. 

Mining 

salt                     silver 

tin 

coal                    sulphur 

copper 

lead                   iron 

gold 

b. 

Lumbering 

hardwood 

yellow  pine 

white  pine 

spruce 

red  wood 

c. 

Grazing 

cattle 

sheep 

horses 

swine 

d. 

Fishing  and  hunting 

cod 

oysters 

salmon 

fur-bearing  animals 

e. 

Manufacturing 

cotton  goods 

farm  implements 

boots  and  shoes 

iron  and  steel 

silk  goods 

jewelry 

woolen  goods 

machinery 

/. 

Agriculture 

hay 

corn 

rice 

sugar 

lo6  Community  English 


wheat 

market  gardening 

fruit 

farm  products 

tobacco 

cotton 

3.  Find  out  from  your  Geography  and  other  books  of 
reference  all  you  can  about  your  subject. 

4.  Choose  which  division  of  the  subject  you  prefer  to 
illustrate.  In  this  Undertaking  the  class  will  be  divided 
into  groups  and  each  group  will  work  under  the  leadership 
of  a  captain.  For  example,  if  your  class  chooses  the  subject 
of  agriculture,  your  group  might  illustrate  farm  products. 

///.  To  make  a  poster  of  characteristic  houses  of  any 
country. 

IV.  To  make  a  poster  oj  typical  occupations  of  any 
country. 

V.  To  make  a  poster  of  characteristic  costumes  of  any 
people. 

VI.  To  make  a  poster  of  typical  scenes  of  any  country. 

VII.  To  make  a  poster  describing  an  animal. 

Suggestions.  — 

A  Crouching  Lion  A  Performing  Bear 

My  Horse  The  Elephant  at  the  Zoo 

An  Intelligent  Dog  The  Blue  Bird 

A  Mischievous  Cat  An  Industrious  Beaver 

Jim  Crow  A  Prize  Cow 

A  Wounded  Robin  A  Beautiful  Butterfly 

An  Ugly  Crocodile  A  Sly  Fox 

VIII.  To  make  a  poster  describing  any  view  or  scene. 


Posters  and  Charts  107 

Suggestions.  — 

The  Road  Through  the  Woods  A  Sunny  Morning  at  the 

After  a  Snow  Storm  Bridge 

A  City  Street  An  Attractive  Garden 

IX.  To  make  a  chart  containing  a  hill,  a  receipt,  and  a 
check. 

Suggestions.  — 

1.  Help  organize  a  temporary  class  bank.  Deposit  a 
few  cents  in  this  bank ;  you  will  be  permitted  to  withdraw 
the  money  by  check. 

2.  Upon  a  large  sheet  of  any  plain,  heavy  paper  arrange 
the  following: 

a  bill  for  at  least  five  items  of  goods  sold  to  you 

a  check  drawn  on  your  school  bank  in  payment  of  the 

bill 
a  receipt  given  you  by  the  store  when  you  paid  your 

bill 

3.  Do  not  show  this  chart  to  your  teacher  until  it  is 
complete. 

4.  Remember  that  every  itemized  bill  should  contain: 
place,  date  of  sale,  name  of  buyer,  name  of  seller,  quantity 
of  goods,  and  price. 

5.  Ask  your  teacher  to  select  a  committee  who  shall 
obtain  for  the  class,  blank  bank  checks  and  blank  forms  on 
which  to  make  out  bills. 

6.  Remember  that  a  check  should  contain  the  date,  the 
sum  of  money  to  be  paid,  the  name  of  the  person  to  whom 
it  is  paid,  and  the  name  of  the  person  who  draws  the  check. 
The  amount  of  money  to  be  paid  should  be  written  twice 
—  once  in  figures  and  once  in  words. 


PART  VI.  CLASS  PARLIAMENTARY  USAGE 

Have  you  ever  attended  a  business  meeting  conducted 
by  older  people?  How  was  the  meeting  opened?  What 
was  the  presiding  officer  called?  Was  an  effort  made  to 
keep  track  of  the  various  events  and  discussions?  If  so, 
who  kept  such  a  record?  Why  were  several  people  not 
permitted  to  talk  at  once?  What  words  or  phrases,  used 
by  the  leader  of  the  meeting,  sounded  strange  to  you  ? 

If  possible,  plan  to  attend  such  a  meeting  and  notice 
carefully  everything  which  seems  unusual.  Talk  about 
business  meetings  with  your  father,  or  any  other  older 
person,  and  find  out  why  such  meetings  are  necessary. 
Give  reasons  for  and  against  the  plan  of  conducting  your 
class  recitations  as  business  meetings.  Boys  and  girls 
about  your  age  are  enthusiastic  over  the  opportunity  of 
acting  as  presiding  officer  of  a  meeting  or  as  class  secretary. 
If  your  class  and  teacher  decide  to  conduct  the  class  recita- 
tion as  a  business  meeting  you  will  find  the  following  sug- 
gestions helpful  when  it  is  your  turn  to  act  either  as  class 
secretary  or  as  chairman  of  the  meeting. 

UNDERTAKING 
To  conduct  the  class  recitation  as  a  business  meeting. 

Suggestions.  —  At  first,  these  suggestions  may  seem  very 
formal  to  you,  but  the  conduct  of  a  business  meeting  is  a 

io8 


Class  Parliamentary  Usage  109 

formal  matter.  Fortunately,  after  the  first  two  or  three 
meetings  you  will  become  accustomed  to  the  form  of  the 
meeting  and  it  will  seem  the  natural  way  to  conduct  the 
work  of  the  class.  At  this  time  it  will  be  well  for  you  to 
decide  whether  every  recitation  shall  be  conducted  as  a 
business  meeting  or  whether  only  one  or  two  recitations  a 
week  shall  be  conducted  in  this  manner. 

1.  The  class  will  be  conducted  as  a  business  meeting 
by  each  pupil  in  alphabetic  order.  Begin  with  the  A's, 
then  the  B's,  etc. 

2.  The  minutes  of  the  meeting  will  be  written  by  each 
pupil  in  alphabetic  order.  Begin  with  the  Z's,  then  the 
Y's,  then  the  X's,  etc. 

3.  The  pupil  who  conducts  the  meeting  is  called  the 
chairman. 

4.  The  pupil  who  writes  the  minutes  of  the  meeting  is 
called  the  secretary. 

5.  You  will  be  called  the  chairman  pro  tern,  or  the 
secretary  pro  tern,  because  you  act  as  chairman  or  secretary 
for  one  day  only.  The  word  pro  tern,  comes  from  the  Latin 
pro  tempore  which  means  for  the  time. 

6.  The  minutes  of  your  class  meeting  must  always 
contain  the  teacher's  exact  words  in  assigning  the  advance 
lesson. 

7.  At  the  close  of  each  recitation  the  minutes  of  the  last 
meeting  shall  be  placed  in  a  loose  leaf  notebook  on  the 
teacher's  desk  where  they  may  be  consulted  at  any  time. 

8.  Whenever  a  pupil  wishes  to  speak  during  the  course 
of  the  meeting,  he  must  stand,  say  "  Mr.  Chairman,"  or 
"  Miss  Chairman,"  and  wait  until  the  chairman  calls  him 
by  name.    Then  he  may  speak  but  not  until  then. 


no  Community  English 

Instructions  for  Chairman.  — 

1 .  Stand  behind  the  teacher's  desk. 

2.  As  soon  as  the  class  comes  together  say,  "  The 
meeting  will  please  come  to  order." 

3.  When  the  room  is  quiet  say,  "  The  Secretary  will 
read  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting." 

4.  As  soon  as  the  Secretary  has  finished  say,  "  Are 
there  any  corrections?  "  Should  any  one  notice  an  error 
in  the  minutes  he  may  state  it  at  this  time.  If  a  mistake 
has  been  made  you  should  ask  the  Secretary  to  make  the 
correction  and  then  say,  "  If  there  is  no  objection  the 
minutes  will  stand  approved  as  corrected." 

5.  If  there  are  no  corrections,  say,  "  The  minutes  will 
stand  approved  as  read." 

6.  Then  you  may  call  upon  the  teacher  to  assign  the 
next  lesson.  She  will  take  whatever  time  she  wishes  for 
the  regular  work  of  the  class. 

7.  Upon  current  event  day  you  will  call  upon  your 
classmates  to  recite. 

8.  When  the  class  work  is  over  for  the  day,  a  pupil  says, 
"  Mr.  Chairman,  I  move  that  we  adjourn" ;  another  pupil 
says,  "I  second  the  motion";  then  say,  "Those  in  favor 
will  say  *  Aye.'  "  All  vote  "  aye" ;  then  say,  "  This  meet- 
ing stands  adjourned." 

9.  If  you  are  not  able  to  be  present  in  class  when  it  is 
your  turn  to  act  as  Chairman  or  as  Secretary,  you  must 
arrange  with  some  other  pupil  to  take  your  place.  Then 
when  his  turn  comes,  you  must  serve. 

10.  Occasionally  a  question  will  arise  for  discussion  and 
it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  "  put  the  question  to  vote." 
For  example,  a  pupil  stands  and  says,  "  Mr.  Chairman, 


Class  Parliamentary  Usage  iii 

I  move  that "    Another  pupil  stands  and 

says,  "  Mr.  Chairman,  I  second  the  motion."     Then  you 

should  say,  "  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that 

(state   the  motion) All  those 

in  favor  say  "  aye,"  those  opposed  say  "no." 

If  more  of  your  classmates  say  "  aye  "  than  "no,"  you 
should  say,  "  The  motion  is  carried."  If  more  say  "  no  " 
than  "  aye,"  you  should  say,  "  The  motion  is  lost." 

Instructions  for  Secretary.  — 

1.  Sit  at  the  teacher's  desk,  near  the  Chairman. 

2.  When  called  upon  by  the  Chairman,  stand  and  read 
the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting. 

3.  It  is  well  to  keep  a  very  accurate  and  complete  report 
of  what  is  done  during  the  recitation.  This  written  report 
is  called  the  Minutes  of  the  Meeting. 

4.  Do  not  keep  a  record  of  the  exact  words  of  any 
speeches. 

5.  Never  make  in  the  Minutes  any  comment  favorable 
or  otherwise  upon  anything  said  or  done  during  the  meeting. 

6.  After  class  make  a  neat,  well- written  copy  of  the 
Minutes  and  give  this  copy  to  the  pupil  who  is  to  be  the  next 
Secretary  pro  tern. 

Appearance  of  the  Minutes.  —  The  completed  minutes 

may  look  like  this : 

Rand  School 
Red  Oak,  Iowa 
April  16,  1921 
The  regular  meeting  of  the  eighth  grade  English  class  was 
called  to  order  in  the  English  room,  April  15,  1921,  by  June 
Brown,  Chairman  pro  tern.    After  the  minutes  of  the  last  meet- 


112  Community  English 

ing  had  been  read  and  approved  the  assignment  for  the  next 
lesson  was  made  by  our  teacher,  as  follows:  "Write  a  short 
composition  on  one  of  the  following  topics:  The  benefits  of 
good  roads  or  How  our  playgrounds  may  be  improved." 

The  Chairman  then  called  for  current  topics.  George  K. 
spoke  briefly  on  "Crossing  the  Atlantic  in  an  Airplane."  Ernest 
G.  told  of  "Speaking  by  Wireless  around  the  World." 


The  class  adjourned. 

Hazel  M.  Boyden 

Secretary  pro  tern. 

Contents  of  Minutes.  —  You  will  note  that  in  the  minutes 
the  following  points  were  mentioned : 

1 .  The  kind  of  meeting  (regular  or  special) 

2.  The  place 

3.  The  date 

4.  The  name  of  the  chairman  pro  tern. 

5.  The  statement  that  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting 
were  read  and  approved 

6.  All  other  events  of  the  meeting  were  mentioned  in 
order. 

7.  The  name  of  the  secretary  pro  tern,  was  signed. 

References.  —  Robe/t's  Rules  of  Order  Revised  is  perhaps 
the  best  book  of  reference  for  all  questions  of  parliamentary 
usage.  It  is  a  small  book  published  by  Doubleday,  Page 
and  Company  and  should  be  upon  the  shelves  of  your  class- 
room circulating  library. 


PART  VII.  NOTEBOOKS 

In  almost  all  classes  in  English  the  boys  and  girls  have 
found  that  a  notebook  in  which  records,  diagrams,  maps, 
pictures,  outHnes,  charts,  etc.  are  placed  is  a  very  handy 
tool  for  ready  reference.  Doubtless  you,  too,  will  wish  to 
keep  such  a  record  of  your  daily  work.  About  once  a 
month  such  books  are  brought  to  class,  upon  a  regular  day 
appointed  by  the  teacher.  There  the  books  are  exchanged 
and  the  initials  of  the  pupil  examining  the  book  as  well  as 
the  date  are  placed  on  the  inside  cover.  Misspelled  words 
are  underscored  and  other  mistakes  are  marked  according 
to  the  suggestions  given  in  Part  XVIII  on  Correcting 
Proof.    The  books  are  then  handed  to  the  teacher. 

It  is  not  at  all  necessary  to  copy  in  ink  the  material  placed 
in  the  notebook  or  to  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  in  making 
it  attractive,  but  it  is  well  to  remember  that  neatness  and 
accuracy  are  of  importance.  Clean,  shiny  tools  are  the 
mark  of  good  workmanship  and  a  shabby  notebook  is  not 
a  usable  tool. 

YOUR   UNDERTAKING 

To  keep  a  notebook  in  connection  with  your  English 
work. 

Suggestions.  — 

I .  Buy  a  loose  leaf  notebook,  opening  at  the  side,  about 
8Xii  inches  in  size. 

113 


114  Community  English 

2.  Paste  on  the  cover  of  the  book  a  slip  of  white  paper 
2X4  inches  in  size. 

3.  Upon  this  slip  of  white  paper  write  the  name  of  the 
school,  the  name  of  the  teacher,  the  name  of  the  subject, 
and  your  own  name.  The  completed  slip  may  then  look 
like  this: 

PASADENA  GRAMMAR  SCHOOL 

Name  of  Pupil 

Name  of  Teacher 

Name  of  Subject     

4.  Leave  the  first  three  pages  blank  for  your  index. 
At  the  end  of  each  month,  as  a  review  exercise,  you  will 
make  your  index  up-to-date.  It  will  be  well  to  remember 
that  your  index  will  be  unlike  the  index  in  any  other  note- 
book. 

5.  In  your  notebook  you  may  place  the  following 
material:  memory  passages,  Hsts  of  words  which  are 
commonly  mispronounced,  new  word  Hsts,  outlines  of 
stories  studied  in  class,  names  of  books  read  outside  of  class 
for  which  the  teacher  has  given  you  credit,  names  of  all 
stories  and  poems  read  by  the  teacher  in  class,  or  by  the 
pupils  to  each  other,  pictures  to  illustrate  the  poems  and 
stories  read  or  studied,  outline  maps  upon  which  places 
associated  with  authors  of  works  read  may  be  located,  and 
charts  as  well  as  diagrams. 

6.  Write  in  ink,  if  possible. 


PART  VIII.    THE  BULLETIN  BOARD 

Perhaps  you  are  already  more  or  less  familiar  with  the 
bulletin  board  and  its  uses.  Nevertheless,  in  order  to  make 
your  work  in  Enghsh  as  efficient  as  possible  you  may  be 
glad  to  pay  special  attention  to  these  suggestions  which 
may  help  you  to  a  greater  use  of  the  bulletin  board  than  you 
now  have. 

YOUR   UNDERTAKING 
To  use  the  bulletin  efficiently. 
Suggestions.  — 

1.  A  bulletin  board  is  a  board  upon  which  are  posted 
clippings,  illustrations,  announcements  of  lessons,  of 
lectures,  of  class  trips,  of  investigations,  etc. 

2.  The  board  is  often  4X5  feet  in  size  and  is  frequently 
made  of  bass  wood,  pine,  or  any  other  soft  white  wood. 
Sometimes  it  is  a  board  covered  with  green  burlap  upon 
which  the  clippings  and  illustrations  are  pinned. 

3.  If  there  is  no  bulletin  board  in  your  school  which 
can  be  used  for  the  English  classroom,  a  group  of  boys 
may  be  chosen  by  your  class  to  construct  such  a  board. 

4.  One  half  of  the  board  belongs  to  the  teacher  for  the 
notices  she  may  wish  to  give,  the  other  half  belongs  to  you 
and  your  classmates.  Upon  your  half  you  may  post  any 
material  of  which  your  teacher  approves. 

IIS 


Ii6  Community  English 

5.  Make  a  practice  of  consulting  the  bulletin  board 
each  day.  First  read  very  carefully  the  notices  and 
announcements  posted  by  your  teacher ;  then  glance  over 
the  clippings  and  illustrations  posted  on  your  side  of  the 
board. 

6.  Examine  the  class  scrapbook,  the  class  posters,  and 
the  class  booklets  which  may  be  displayed.  Is  any  of  your 
work' considered  worthy  of  display? 

7.  In  each  of  your  class  tests  or  examinations  there 
will  be  one  or  more  optional  questions  based  upon  the 
material  posted  upon  the  bulletin  board. 

8.  If  you  are  interested  in  the  work  of  your  class,  you 
will  bring  material  for  display  upon  the  bulletin  board. 
An  empty  board  always  indicates  an  uninterested  class. 

9.  After  the  illustrations  and  clippings  have  been  dis- 
played for  several  days,  you  may  help  take  them  down  for 
classification.  The  material  is  filed,  under  proper  headings, 
so  it  may  be  available  for  reference  either  in  your  own  or 
in  some  other  class. 

10.  Classify,  if  you  wish,  the  clippings  according  to  the 
following  headings:  Good  Paragraphs,  Letters,  American 
Authors,  Community  Interests,  Outhnes,  Subjects  for 
Debate,  and  the  Class  Paper. 

11.  Newspaper  clippings  may  be  mounted  on  cheap 
mimeograph  paper  8iX  11  inches  in  size,  and  then  filed  in 
manila  envelopes  or  folders  gX  iii  inches  in  size.  These 
envelopes  may  be  alphabetically  arranged  in  a  vertical  file 
or  drawer  according  to  the  heading  written  upon  the  upper 
left-hand  corner  of  each  envelope. 

12.  Clippings  from  magazines  may  be  bound  in  covers 
like  class  booklets  or  they  may  be  fastened  in  Gaylord 


The  Bulletin  Board  1 17 

pamphlet  binders  (Gaylord  Brothers,  Syracuse,  New  York), 
or  they  may  be  covered  with  manila  paper  like  the  biology 
folders  used  in  high  schools. 

13.  These  clippings  may  be  lent  for  home  use  as  library 
books  are. 

14.  Pictures,  mounted  or  unmounted,  may  be  secured 
at  very  Httle  expense  (costing  usually  but  a  cent  or  so) 
from  any  of  the  following  companies:  The  E.  A.  Perry 
Picture  Company,  Maiden,  Massachusetts;  The  Brown 
Picture  Company,  Beverly,  Massachusetts ;  or  the  Cosmos 
Picture  Company,  119  West  25th  Street,  New  York  City. 
The  Copley  Prints  may  be  obtained  from  art  dealers 
throughout  the  country  or  from  Messrs.  Curtis  and  Cam- 
eron, 12  Harcouft  St.,  Boston,  Massachusetts. 


PART   IX.     ORAL   AND   WRITTEN 
DRAMATIZATION 

Have  you  ever  "played  Indian"  or  taken  part  in  a  make- 
believe  circus?  If  you  have,  you  know  how  much  more 
fun  it  is  to  live  a  story  than  it  is  to  read  it.  "  Let's  pretend  " 
is  your  fairy  dower,  so  it  doubtless  isn't  very  difficult  for 
you  to  imagine  yourself 

A  pirate  bold  on  the  Spanish  Main, 
Or  a  princess  fair  with  a  golden  train. 

How  would  you  like,  therefore,  to  make  up  and  to  take 
part  in  little  class  plays?  Some  boys  and  girls  have  used 
the  money  obtained  from  such  plays  to  buy  pictures  for  the 
school  auditorium  or  books  for  the  school  library.  Perhaps 
you  could  find  a  similar  use  for  money  earned  from  your 
class  play.  Or  perhaps  you  would  enjoy  giving  a  play 
simply  for  the  fun  of  it,  as  did  the  boys  and  girls  of  the 
Junior  High  School  of  Winchester,  Massachusetts,  who 
presented  a  play  in  five  scenes,  entitled  "  Your  Town  and 
Mine." 

The  principal  character  in  their  play  was  Tony  Russo,  an 
Italian  gardener,  whose  lessons  in  American  government 
took  the  form  of  visits  to  the  local  officials  and  the  depart- 
ments of  the  town  government.  Somehow  Tony  Russo 
aided  the  boys  and  girls  of  Winchester  to  understand  how 
their  town  helped  the  people  who  lived  in  it  and  they  had 
such  a  good  time  staging  their  play  that  they  wanted  to 
give  it  several  times. 

ii8 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization  119 

YOUR    UNDERTAKING 

To  help  write  and  to  take  part  in  a  class  play  based 
upon  local  history. 

Suggestion.  —  Before  beginning  to  write  your  play  it 
will  be  well  for  you  to  read  over  the  following  stories  and 
to  work  out  the  instructions  which  follow  each  story. 

The  Loss  and  Recovery  of  a  Horse 

A  man  was  much  vexed  at  having  lost  his  horse ;  and  he  did 
not  know  whether  the  animal  had  been  stolen  or  whether  it 
had  strayed.  Not  being  able  to  find  it,  he  went  into  the  market- 
place and  offered  a  reward  to  any  one  who  could  find  it  and  bring 
it  back.  Not  long  afterwards  a  man  was  seen  leading  a  horse 
by  a  halter  into  the  market-place.  The  owner  was  much  pleased, 
and  at  once  gave  him  the  reward  that  had  been  promised. 
"But  how,''  said  the  owner,  "did  you  find  the  horse  so  easily?" 
"I  asked  myself,"  said  the  man,  "to  what  place  I  would  go,  if 
I  were  a  horse:  so  I  went  to  a  grassy  field  that  had  an  open 
gate,  and  there  he  was,  grazing  to  his  heart's  content." 

Now,  imagine  that  you  are  the  owner  of  the  horse  and 
that  one  of  your  classmates  finds  it  for  you.  Without 
again  reading  the  story,  make  inquiries  for  your  horse 
using  your  own  words.  Offer  a  reward.  When  the  horse  is 
returned  to  you,  thank  the  finder,  pay  the  reward,  and  then 
make  inquiries  as  to  how  the  horse  was  so  easily  found. 
Your  classmate  will  answer  your  questions  in  his  own 
words. 

After  several  pupils  have  acted  out  the  story  select  the 
group  which  appeared  most  natural  and  write  down  their 
conversation  somewhat  in  this  way: 


120  Community  English 

THE  LOSS   AND   RECOVERY  OF  A  HORSE 

Persons  in  the  Play 

The  owner  of  the  horse 
The  finder  of  the  horse 
Townspeople 

Scene:  A  market-place 

The  owner  of  the  horse  {enters  the  market-place  slowly,  talking 
to  himself).  What  a  state  I  am  in!  Before  I  lost  my  horse 
I  was  content,  for  I  depended  on  him.  But  now  that  he  is  gone, 
goodness  knows  where,  I  certainly  am  worried.  I  wonder  if 
some  one  stole  him  or  if  he  only  strayed  away  when  I  left  him 
there  by  the  gate.  I  believe  I'll  make  inquiries  of  those  men 
over  there  by  the  fruit  stall.  {Walks  forward  rapidly.)  Good 
morning,  men,  have  any  of  you  seen  a  lost  horse? 

Keeper  of  stall.     What  color  was  he  ? 

Owner.    Black  with  white  markings. 

Keeper.     When  did  you  first  miss  him  ? 

Owner.  About  an  hour  ago.  I  stopped  on  my  way  to  market 
to  pay  a  bill  at  the  doctor's  and  left  my  horse  at  his  gate.  When 
1  returned  a  few  minutes  later  he  had  disappeared.  He  is  such 
a  valuable  horse  that  I  will  gladly  pay  a  large  reward  to  any  one 
who  returns  him  to  me. 

Townspeople.     We  will  help  you  search  for  him. 

{The  search  among  the  various  stalls  has  scarcely  begun  when  a 
man  is  seen  leading  a  horse  by  a  halter  into  the  market-place.  All 
rush  toward  him.) 

The  owner.  That's  my  horse  all  right  and  here's  the  money 
I  promised  as  a  reward.  But,  friend,  I  should  be  glad  indeed 
to  know  how  you  found  the  horse  so  easily. 

The  finder.  It  was  not  at  all  difficult.  I  asked  myself  to 
what  place  I  would  go  if  I  were  a  horse :  so  I  went  to  a  grassy 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization         121 

field  that  had  an  open  gate,  and  there  he  was  grazing  to  his  heart's 
content. 

END. 

Rewrite  one  of  the  following  stories  in  the  form  of  a  play. 
Introduce  conversation  and  little  descriptive  touches. 
Make  your  actors  think  out  loud  if  by  so  doing  they  help 
the  reader  to  understand  the  story.  Before  beginning  to 
write  ask  yourself  these  questions : 

a.  Who  are  the  characters  in  the  story? 

h.  Does  the  story  fall  naturally  into  one,  two,  or  more 
scenes? 

c.  Where  are  the  scenes  laid? 

d.  Is  it  necessary  to  use  quotation  marks  in  writing  the 
speeches  in  a  play? 

After  your  play  is  written  you  may  ask  some  of  your 
classmates  to  help  you  produce  it  for  the  class. 

King  Frederick  and  the  Page 

Frederick,  King  of  Prussia,  once  rung  his  bell  and,  nobody 
answering,  opened  the  door  where  his  servant  was  usually  in 
waiting,  and  found  him  fast  asleep  on  the  sofa.  He  was  about 
to  wake  him,  when  he  perceived  the  end  of  a  letter  hanging  out 
of  his  pocket.  Curious  to  know  its  contents,  he  took  it  and 
read  it.  He  found  that  the  letter  was  from  the  young  man's 
mother,  thanking  him  for  having  sent  her  a  part  of  his  wages 
to  assist  her  in  her  distress,  and  concluding  with  beseeching 
God  to  bless  him  for  his  filial  attention  to  her  wants. 

Returning  to  his  room,  the  king  took  a  roll  of  ducats  and 
slipped  them  with  the  letter  into  the  page's  pocket.  A  little 
later  he  rang  so  violently  that  the  page  awoke,  opened  the  door, 
and  entered.    "You  have  slept  well,"  said  the  king.    The  page 


122  Community  English 

made  apology  and,  in  his  embarrassment,  happened  to  put  his 
hand  into  his  pocket,  and  felt  with  astonishment  the  roll.  He 
drew  it  forth,  turned  pale,  burst  into  tears  without  being  able 
to  say  a  word. 

''  What  is  the  matter  ? ''  asked  the  "king.     "  What  ails  you  ?  " 
"Ah,  sire,"  said  the  young  man,  throwing  himself  at  the  king's 
feet,  ''some  one  has  wished  to  ruin  me.     I  know  not  how  I  came 
by  this  money  in  my  pocket." 

*'My  friend,"  said  Frederick,  "God  often  sends  us  good  in 
our  sleep.  Send  this  money  to  your  mother,  salute  her  in  my 
name,  and  assure  her  that  I  shall  take  care  of  her  and  of  you." 

The  National  Preceptor 

How  can  you  let  your  audience  know  what  the  letter 
contains? 

The  House-Dog  and  the  Wolf 

A  lean,  hungry  wolf  chanced  one  moonshiny  night  to  fall  in 
with  a  plump,  well-fed  house-dog.  After  the  first  compliments 
were  passed  between  them,  the  wolf  said,  "How  is  it,  my  friend, 
that  you  look  so  sleek  ?  How  well  your  food  agrees  with  you ! 
And  here  am  I  striving  for  a  living  day  and  night,  and  can  barely 
save  myself  from  starving." 

"Well,"  said  the  dog,  "if  you  would  fare  like  me  you  have 
only  to  do  as  I  do." 

"Indeed,"  said  he,  "and  what  is  that?" 

"Why,  just  guard  the  master's  house  and  keep  off  thieves  at 
night." 

"With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  wolf;  "for  at  present  I  have 
but  a  sorry  time  of  it.  This  woodland  life,  with  its  frosts  and 
rains,  is  sharp  work  for  me.  To  have  a  warm  roof  over  my  head 
and  plenty  of  victuals  always  at  hand  will,  methinks,  be  no  bad 
exchange." 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization  123 

"True,"  replied  the  dog;  "therefore  you  have  nothing  to  do 
but  follow  me."  Now  as  they  were  jogging  along  together,  the 
wolf  spied  a  mark  on  the  dog's  neck,  and  having  a  curiosity, 
could  not  forbear  asking  what  it  meant. 

"Pooh  !  nothing  at  all,"  said  the  dog. 

"Nay,  but  pray  — " 

"Oh,  a  mere  trifle;  perhaps  the  collar  to  which  my  chain  is 
fastened  — " 

"Chain,"  interrupted  the  wolf  in  surprise;  "you  don't  mean 
that  you  cannot  rove  when  and  where  you  please?" 

"Why,  not  exactly  that,  perhaps.  You  see  I  am  looked  upon 
as  rather  fierce ;  so  they  sometimes  tie  me  up  in  the  daytime. 
But  I  assure  you  that  I  have  perfect  liberty  at  night ;  and  my 
master  feeds  me  off  his  own  plate,  and  the  servants  give  me  their 
titbits,  and  I  am  such  a  favorite,  and  —  But  what  is  the  matter? 
Where  are  you  going?" 

"Oh,  good  night  to  you,"  said  the  wolf.     "You  are  welcome 

to  your  dainties ;  but  as  for  me,  a  dry  crust  with  liberty,  against 

a  king's  luxury  with  a  chain." 

yEsop 

Instructions.  —  After  dramatizing  the  little  stories  and 
fables  told  above,  you  are  ready  to  begin  work  on  your 
class  play. 

1.  Each  pupil  in  the  class  will  have  some  part  in  the 
play. 

2.  The  class  will  be  divided  into  three  or  four  groups, 
corresponding  to  the  three  or  four  important  divisions  of 
the  play.  Each  group  will  choose  the  part  of  the  story 
which  it  wishes  to  prepare,  and  will  then  write  out  the 
conversation  and  directions  necessary  for  the  development 
of  its  own  part  of  the  story.  A  captain  should  be  chosen 
to  direct  the  work  of  each  group. 


124  Community  English 

3.  The  best  worked-out  scene  submitted  by  the  various 
pupils  in  each  group  will  be  selected  for  the  play. 

4.  A  committee  chosen  by  the  class  will  put  the  scenes 
together  to  form  the  completed  play. 

5.  When  making  final  arrangements  for  the  staging  of 
your  play  you  will  be  greatly  helped  by  consulting  your 
domestic  science  teacher  about  your  costumes,  your  manual 
training  teacher  about  the  necessary  stage  properties,  your 
drawing  teacher  about  the  decorations,  and  your  geography 
teacher  about  the  proper  settings  for  the  scenes.  Your 
history  books  and  history  teacher  may  give  you  very 
valuable  aid  in  preparing  the  play  itself,  while  your  music 
teacher  will  help  you  with  the  musical  numbers. 

6.  Choose  an  important  event  in  the  history  of  your 
city  or  town  as  the  basis  of  your  play.  Find  out  all  you 
can  about  the  event.  Go  to  the  grandfathers  and  grand- 
mothers in  your  community  for  information  and  ideas. 
Find  out  about  the  event  from  old  newspapers  and  from 
local  histories. 

7.  Study  pictures  to  get  ideas  for  scenery,  clothes,  and 
properties. 

8.  Make  a  Hst  of  characters  necessary  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  play. 

9.  Talk  over  the  matter  in  class  and  decide  how  the 
play  shall  be  divided  into  acts  and  scenes.  Make  a  Hst  of 
the  important  events  in  each  scene.  The  best  ideas  will 
be  chosen  from  each  outline  for  the  play. 

10.  Working  with  the  other  pupils  in  your  group, 
write  out  the  conversation.  Try  to  make  it  natural  and 
true  to  life.  Use  simple  words  and  keep  your  sentences 
clear. 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization         125 

11.  Be  ready  to  offer  suggestions  to  every  other  pupil  in 
your  group. 

12.  Plan  to  present  your  play  for  the  pupils  of  another 
grade.  In  order  that  they  may  understand  what  you  say, 
speak  slowly  and  distinctly,  with  your  face  turned  toward 
the  audience,  when  possible. 

13.  Read  carefully  the  following  historical  account  of  the 
capture  of  Quebec  and  the  play  based  upon  it.  The  play 
may  be  far  more  elaborate  than  the  play  produced  by  your 
class,  but  such  a  play  as  this  may  help  you  in  writing  your 
own. 

The  Capture  of  Quebec 

In  the  spring  of  1759  nine  thousand  men  were  placed  on  ship- 
board to  sail  up  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Quebec.  Their  leader  was 
General  James  Wolfe,  a  man  but  little  over  thirty  years  of  age. 
He  had  already  proved  himself  a  gallant  soldier,  however,  and 
he  gladly  undertook  the  capture  of  the  French  stronghold.  In 
the  early  summer,  1759,  the  English  vessels  came  to  anchor  in 
the  river  below  Quebec.  Soon  all  was  in  readiness,  and  the 
English  cannon  began  to  boom  forth  a  summons  to  the  French 
to  give  up  Quebec.  But  the  citadel  —  the  strong  old  fortress  — 
showed  no  sign  of  giving  up. 

It  was  resolved  to  move  the  camp  to  a  place  on  the  river  above 
the  city,  and  to  try  there  to  find  some  way  up  the  steep  cliff, 
thus  gaining  the  plains  behind  the  town.  The  bank  of  the  river 
was  searched  for  a  pathway,  and  at  last  it  was  found.  Careful 
preparations  were  made.  On  a  dark  night  in  September  the 
men  were  silently  rowed  to  the  place  selected,  and  still  more 
silently  led  up  the  narrow,  dangerous  path.  There  were  French 
guards  at  the  top,  but  they  were  easily  overpowered.  And  when 
the  pale  light  of  morning  broke  over  the  citadel,  it  fell  on  the 


126  Community  English 

red-coated  English  soldiers,  drawn  up  in  battle  line  on  the  plains 
outside  the  town. 

There  was  great  excitement  in  the  fortress.  Montcalm  has- 
tened to  make  ready  for  battle.  His  soldiers  were  poorly 
equipped  —  indeed,  it  had  been  almost  impossible  for  Montcalm 
to  obtain  any  suppUes.  But  he  had  done  all  he  could,  and  he 
entered  upon  the  battle  with  a  brave  heart. 

It  proved  impossible,  however,  to  drive  the  English  back. 
Wolfe  led  the  charge,  and  his  men  carried  everything  before 
them.  The  French  broke  into  confusion.  Montcalm  did  his 
best  to  stop  their  flight,  and  received  a  mortal  wound.  Wolfe, 
too,  was  struck,  and  again,  and  yet  again!  Both  of  these 
valiant  commanders  were  to  die  —  the  one  victorious,  —  happy, 
as  he  said  when  dying,  because  he  could  know  that  the  French 
were  "flying  everywhere" ;  the  other  sad,  though  he  had  done 
his  duty  nobly,  and  thanking  God  that  he  should  not  live  to  see 

the  surrender  of  Quebec. 

Marguerite  Stockman  Dickson: 
American  History  for  Grammar  Schools 

JAMES   WOLFE 

Scene  I 
Cabin  of  a  British  Ship  on  the  St.' Lawrence  River 

Characters 
Wolfe  and  his  Aide-de-camp 
Two  French  Pilots 
A  British  Officer 
{Wolfe  is  drawing  plans  at  a  table.     The  Aide-de-camp  enters 
and  salutes.    Wolfe  looks  up.) 

Aide-de-camp.  The  soldiers  have  captured  two  French  pilots, 
and  are  treating  them  very  roughly.  The  prisoners  are  badly 
frightened.     What  do  you  wish  done  ? 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization  127 

Wolfe.  No  better  luck  could  have  befallen  us.  Bring  them 
in.    I  will  speak  with  them. 

(Aide  salutes  and  goes  out.) 

Officer  (entering  with  two  prisoners).  We  have  taken  these 
men  but  we  do  not  wish  to  hang  them  without  your  orders. 

Wolfe  (to  the  pilots).  What  have  you  to  say  for  yourselves? 
Why  are  you  prowling  around  here  ? 

First  Pilot.  We  meant  no  harm.  If  you  will  rescue  us 
from  these  uncivil  soldiers,  and  spare  our  lives,  we  are  at  your 
bidding. 

Second  Pilot.  Do  not  kill  us,  good  general.  We  were  only 
trying  to  catch  fish  in  the  river. 

Wolfe.  I  will  spare  your  lives  on  one  condition.  If  you  will 
not  accept  our  terms,  I  will  not  answer  for  the  consequences. 

First  Pilot.    We  will  do  whatever  you  command. 

Second  Pilot.     Yes,  anything. 

Wolfe,  Can  you  steer  our  ships  up  the  river,  near  the  city? 
That  is  the  only  service  we  shall  ask  of  you.  Accomplish  this, 
and  you  are  free. 

First  Pilot.  Yes,  I  know  every  inch  of  the  river.  That  is  not 
at  all  difficult  to  do. 

Wolfe.  Your  people  have  blocked  the  river  with  logs.  Some 
of  them  are  under  water,  and  the  trip  is  perilous. 

Second  Pilot.  We  know  the  location  of  every  log,  for  we 
helped  to  place  them  in  the  river. 

Wolfe.  Very  well.  You  shall  pilot  us  to-night.  If  one 
vessel  runs  aground,  you  will  both  be  hanged.  Do  you 
understand? 

First  Pilot.  We  will  do  as  you  say,  and  we  will  stake  our 
lives  on  our  success. 

Second  Pilot.  Indeed,  we  will ;  and  we  thank  you  for  your 
kindness  to  us. 


128  Community  English 

Wolfe.  If  you  steer  us  safely,  you  shall  go  free.  You  may 
rely  on  that. 

First  Pilot  (to  Second  Pilot).  To-morrow  we  shall  be  free  to 
return  home  to  our  anxious  wives  and  children. 

Wolfe,  Yes,  just  as  soon  as  we  need  you  no  longer,  we  will 
give  you  permission  to  go  back. 

Second  Pilot.    You  may  depend  on  us. 

{Soldier  takes  the  prisoners  out.    General  Wolfe  follows.) 

Scene  II 
Montcalm'' s  Headquarters  in  the  City  of  Quebec 

Characters 

Montcalm 

The  French  Governor  of  Quebec 
(Montcalm  is  writing  at  a  table.     The  Governor  enters.) 

Montcalm.  Good  evening,  Governor.  It  has  been  a  warm 
day  for  this  part  of  the  world. 

Governor.  Yes,  but  there  is  a  delightful  breeze  stirring  on  the 
river  now. 

Montcalm.  What  new  things  have  the  English  been  doing 
to-day  ? 

Governor.  Only  prowling  around  as  usual.  Their  movements 
are  always  mysterious. 

Montcalm.  Their  provisions  cannot  last  much  longer.  {He 
folds  the  letter  he,  has  written  and  seals  it  in  the  envelope.)  No 
supplies  are  coming  in ;  they  cannot  live  on  air. 

Governor.  It  is  only  September.  They  will  not  begin  to 
suffer  until  the  cold  weather.  Now  they  are  living  on  fish,  fruit, 
and  game ;  but  when  the  frost  comes  their  ships  will  be  fastened 
tightly  in  the  ice.    Then  they  will  not  fare  so  well. 

Montcalm.  I  believe  they  will  go  home  soon.  They  must 
be  tired  of  waiting,  with  no  success  ahead  of  them. 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization         129 

Governor.  It  may  be  possible  that  they  will  attack  the 
citadel  before  long.  No  doubt  that  is  what  they  are  planning 
to  do. 

Montcalm.  I  scarcely  believe  so.  They  cannot  land  there. 
The  cliffs  are  too  steep ;  and  our  guards  are  always  on  the  look- 
out for  scouts.  This  high  bluff  cannot  be  carried  if  there  is  a 
skillful  defence  on  the  crest. 

Governor.  Perhaps  they  will  enter  at  some  other  point. 
They  doubtless  know  every  inch  of  the  river  for  a  long  distance 
on  every  side. 

Montcalm.  There  is  no  place  unfortified  within  seven  or 
eight  miles  on  each  side  of  the  city.  They  would  be  seen  march- 
ing back  and  would  be  intercepted  if  they  should  land  so  far 
away.  Moreover,  they  are  sure  to  go  away  soon.  They  have 
already  remained  here  two  and  a  half  months,  you  know. 

Governor  {raising  his  finger) .     Listen  ! 

Montcalm.  What  is  the  matter,  man?  Are  you  nervous? 
I  hear  nothing  but  the  steps  of  the  sentry. 

Governor.  I  hear  shots  and  confused  noises.  Something  is 
wrong. 

{As  they  listen,  a  French  soldier  enters,  stands  at  attention,  and 
salutes.) 

Soldier  {showing  suppressed  excitement).  The  British  are  at- 
tacking the  citadel,  sir. 

Montcalm  {hurriedly  putting  on  his  sword).  Where  are 
they? 

Soldier.  They  seem  to  be  coming  from  every  direction.  One 
detachment  has  passed  the  guards  and  climbed  the  steep  banks 
beyond  the  city  to  the  plains  of  Abraham. 

Montcalm.  Then  they  have  found  the  weak  side  of  that 
wretched  garrison,  but  we  must  fight  and  crush  them.  If  I 
had  been  in  the  citadel  I  might  have  prevented  this  attack. 
Let  us  hasten.     There  is  no  time  to  waste. 


130  Community  English 

Scene  III 
The  Citadel  —  a  Room  in  the  Fort 

Characters 
Four  British  Officers 
Colonel  Captain 

Major  Lieutenant 

Colonel.  How  did  you  manage  to  pass  the  French  guards 
last  night  ? 

Lieutenant.  It  was  very  dark.  We  spoke  to  them  in  the 
French  language,  and  they  thought  we  were  Frenchmen.  We 
learned  the  countersign  from  a  French  deserter.  "Halt!  Who 
goes  there?"  shouted  a  French  sentinel. 

"France,"  I  replied. 

Major.  At  the  foot  of  the  precipice,  led  by  the  Highlanders, 
we  started  to  climb  the  bank.  Then  you  followed  us  while  the 
rest  pretended  to  attack  the  intrenchments  below  the  city. 

Captain.  It  is  a  glorious  victory;  but  I  cannot  forget  the 
price  that  we  have  paid  for  it.  General  Wolfe,  our  brave  com- 
mander, is  dead. 

Colonel.    What  did  he  say  to  you  before  he  died? 

Captain.  He  was  wounded  in  both  the  wrist  and  the  side. 
Another  shot  struck  him  in  the  breast. 

"Support  me.  Let  not  my  brave  fellows  see  me  fall,"  he 
cried.    Then  he  sank  to  the  ground. 

"See,  they  run !"  I  shouted. 

"Who  run?"  he  asked. 

"The  French,"  I  answered. 

"Thank  God !  I  die  happy,"  were  his  last  words. 

Colonel.  Ah,  he  was  a  brave  man.  Where  shall  we  ever 
find  another  commander  to  equal  him  ? 

Lieutenant.  Montcalm,  the  Ftench  general,  is  mortally 
wounded,  too.    He,  also,  is  a  valiant  soldier. 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization  131 

{A  soldier  enters,  stands  at  attention,  and  salutes.) 

Soldier.     Montcalm  is  dead. 

{They  all  stand  silent  for  a  moment.) 

Lieutenant.  Now  the  French  will  lose  their  courage,  and  we 
will  vanquish  them. 

Colonel.  Montcalm  was  a  gallant  general.  No  one  can  fill 
his  place. 

Soldier.  He  said  that  he  would  rather  die  than  see  the  capture 
of  Quebec;  but  it  consoled  him  to  be  conquered  by  so  great 
and  generous  an  enemy. 

Colonel.    None  but  a  noble  soul  could  feel  that. 

Captain.  We  have  won,  but  we  have  paid  dearly  for  our 
victory.     War  is  the  curse  of  the  world. 

Colonel.  Well  said !  Let  us  go  now  to  the  battlefield  and  care 
for  the  wounded. 

(They  all  go  out.) 

END. 
Bird  and  Starling  :  Historical  Plays  for  Children 

SIMILAR    UNDERTAKINGS 

I.  To  help  dramatize  and  take  part  in  the  Bird^s  Christmas 
Carol.  For  the  Christmas  Carol  any  of  the  following  may  he 
substituted:  Rip  Van  Winkle,  The  King  of  the  Golden  River, 
The  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin,  The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish, 
Evangeline,  Hiawatha,  The  Story  of  the  Flag,  The  First 
Thanksgiving,  the  Wehster-Hayne  Debate,  any  important  in- 
cidents in  the  life  of  Washington,  Lincoln,  or  Daniel  Boone. 

II.  To  help  write  and  to  take  part  in  a  little  play  based 
upon  geography.  This  dramatization  of  geography  may  take 
the  form  of  a  pageant  or  outdoor  procession  instead  of  a  play. 


Oral  and  Written  Dramatization  133 

Suggestions.  — 

1.  Uncle  Sam's  children  bring  him  tribute  from  the 
fields  and  mines  and  rivers  and  forests.  Each  state  is 
represented  by  a  group  of  children.  Miss  Columbia  helps 
Uncle  Sam  receive  his  gifts.  Finally,  all  children  pledge 
allegiance  to  him  and  to  the  flag. 

2.  The  school  children  of  the  world  come  to  Mother 
Earth  to  ask  for  a  longer  vacation. 

3.  A  Japanese  Tea  Party. 

4.  A  day  in  a  European  schoolroom. 

5.  Santa  Claus'  Party.  (Attended  by  children  in 
native  costume.) 

6.  Peeps  at  Many  Lands. 

7.  America's  Children  from  Other  Lands. 

8.  The  Animals'  Breakfast  Party. 

9.  Thanksgiving  Day  in  a  Lumber  Camp. 

10.   Dame  Nature's  Corner  Cupboard.     (The  children 
of  all  lands  bring  food  for  the  family  cupboard.) 


PART   X.     MEMORY   TRAINING 

There  are,  as  you  know,  storehouses  of  many  kinds  — 
grain,  provision,  merchandise,  —  but  most  of  them  have 
one  defect;  they  are  not  burglar  proof.  Do  you  know  of 
any  storehouse  that  is  absolutely  burglar  proof?  Have 
you  ever  planned  to  build  a  Memory  Storehouse  of  Literary 
Treasures?  What  would  be  the  value  to  you  of  such  a 
Treasury?  How  would  it  pro\dde  for  your  future  as  well  as 
for  your  present  enjoyment? 

If  you  have  had  difficulty  in  "  learning*  it  by  heart  "  you 
will  be  glad  to  know  that  you  can  memorize  a  poem  easily, 
if  you  go  about  it  in  the  right  way. 

UNDERTAKING 

To  memorize  a  short  selection. 

Instructions.  —  In  these  instructions  the  word  poem 
has  been  used  in  connection  with  the  training  of  the  memory, 
but  the  method  for  memorizing  a  prose  selection  is  very 
similar. 

1.  Listen  intently  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem 
to  you. 

2.  Without  hearing  the  poem  a  second  time,  try  to  tell 
what  it  is  about. 

3.  Open  your  book  and  read  the  whole  poem  through 
carefully  from  beginning  to  end.  Discuss  it  with  your 
teacher  and  classmates. 

134 


Memory  Training  135 

4.  At  a  given  signal,  read  the  poem  in  concert,  several 
times. 

5.  Get  the  swing  of  the  verse  but  try  not  to  singsong  it. 

6.  Suit  the  action  to  the  word ;  that  is,  act  it  out,  if 
that  helps  you  to  remember. 

7.  Above  all  things  do  not  try  to  learn  one  line  at  a  time. 

8.  Put  your  whole  attention  upon  the  poem  to  be  mem- 
orized.    Time  yourself  to  see  how  long  it  takes  you. 

9.  Make  the  author's  thought  your  own  in  this  way: 
hear  it,  read  it,  study  it,  say  it,  write  it. 

10.  Be  ready  to  discuss  the  manner  in  which  your  class- 
mates give  the  poem  from  memory.  While  each  is  reciting 
ask  yourself  these  questions:  does  he  enunciate  clearly, 
does  he  recite  with  proper  expression? 

Memory  contest.  —  About  once  a  month  you  will  enjoy 
taking  part  in  a  memory  contest  which  is  usually  conducted 
in  the  following  manner : 

When  your  teacher  calls  upon  you  for  a  quotation  you 
rise  and  recite  from  memory  until  some  one  catches  you  in  a 
mistake.  The  pupil  making  the  correction  then  continues 
until  he  makes  a  mistake.  In  each  case  the  first  pupil 
noting  the  error  and  properly  correcting  it  may  recite. 
That  pupil  wins  the  test  who  recites  the  greatest  number  of 
lines  without  an  error. 

Memory  training.  —  Remembering  the  preceding  instruc- 
tions, time  yourself  to  see  how  long  it  takes  you  to  memorize 
the  following  lines : 

And  what  is  so  rare  as  a  day  in  June  ? 

Then,  if  ever,  come  perfect  days ; 
Then  Heaven  tries  the  earth  if  it  be  in  tune, 
And  over  it  softly  her  warm  ear  lays : 


136  Community  English 

Whether  we  look,  or  whether  we  listen, 
We  hear  life  murmur,  or  see  it  ghsten ; 
Every  clod  feels  a  stir  of  might, 

An  instinct  within  it  that  reaches  and  towers, 
And,  groping  blindly  above  it  for  light. 

Climbs  to  a  soul  in  grass  and  flowers. 

James  Russell  Lowell  :   The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal 

What  are  some  of  the  various  things  which  together  make 
up  this  beautiful  June  day  in  New  England?  What 
musical  instrument  has  the  poet  in  mind?  We  may  shut 
our  eyes  on  such  a  day  but  we  cannot  help  knowing  certain 
things.  What  are  they?  Give  illustrations  of  the  "  glis- 
ten. ' '  What  is  a  clod  ?  In  what  way  can  it  climb  to  a  soul  ? 
What  and  where  are  the  figures  of  speech  in  these  verses? 

Class  short  poem  recital.  —  Read  over  the  following 
memory  selections ;  choose  the  one  you  like  best ;  learn  it. 
In  class  compare  the  time  which  it  took  you  to  memorize 
the  selection  with  the  records  of  your  classmates  who 
learned  the  same  selection.  Read  your  selection  from 
memory  to  the  class  during  a  short  poem  recital  to  which 
some  other  English  class  is  invited. 

America  For  Me 

'Tis  fine  to  see  the  Old  World,  and  travel  up  and  down 
Among  the  famous  palaces  and  cities  of  renown. 
To  admire  the  crumbly  castles  and  the  statues  of  the  kings,  — 
But  now  I  think  I've  had  enough  of  antiquated  things. 

So  it's  home  again,  and  home  again,  America  for  me ! 
My  heart  is  turning  home  again,  and  there  I  long  to  be, 
In  the  land  of  youth  and  freedom  beyond  the  ocean  bars, 
Where  the  air  is  full  of  sunlight  and  the  flag  is  full  of  stars. 


Memory  Training  137 

Oh,  London  is  a  man's  town,  there's  power  in  the  air ; 

And  Paris  is  a  woman's  town,  with  flowers  in  her  hair ; 

And  it's  sweet  to  dream  in  Venice,  and  it's  great  to  study  Rome ; 

But  when  it  comes  to  living  there  is  no  place  like  home. 

I  like  the  German  fir-woods,  in  green  battalions  drilled ; 
I  like  the  gardens  of  Versailles  with  flashing  fountains  filled ; 
But,  oh,  to  take  your  hand,  my  dear,  and  ramble  for  a  day 
In  the  friendly  western  woodland  where  Nature  has  her  way ! 

I  know  that  Europe's  wonderful,  yet  something  seems  to  lack : 
The  Past  is  too  much  with  her,  and  the  people  looking  back. 
But  the  glory  of  the  Present  is  to  make  the  Future  free,  — 
We  love  our  land  for  what  she  is  and  what  she  is  to  be. 

Oh,  it's  home  again,  and  home  again,  America  for  me ! 
I  want  a  ship  that's  westward  bound  to  plough  the  rolling  sea, 
To  the  blessed  Land  of  Room  Enough  beyond  the  ocean  bars, 
Where  the  air  is  full  of  sunlight  and  the  flag  is  full  of  stars. 

Henry  van  Dyke 

Breathes  There  the  Man  with  Soul  so  Dead 

Breathes  there  the  man  with  soul  so  dead. 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said, 
"This  is  my  own,  my  native  land"? 
Whose  heart  hath  ne'er  within  him  burn'd, 
As  home  his  footsteps  he  hath  turn'd 
From  wandering  on  a  foreign  strand  ? 
If  such  there  breathe,  go,  mark  him  well ; 
For  him  no  minstrel  raptures  swell ; 
High  though  his  titles,  proud  his  name, 
Boundless  his  wealth  as  wish  can  claim,  — 
Despite  those  titles,  power,  and  pelf, 
The  wretch,  concentered  all  in  self, 


138  Community  English 

Living,  shall  forfeit  fair  renown, 
And,  doubly  dying,  shall  go  down 
To  the  vile  dust  from  whence  he  sprung, 
Unwept,  unhonor'd,  and  unsung. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  :  The  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel 

The  Flag  Goes  By 

Hats  off ! 
Along  the  street  there  comes 
A  blare  of  bugles,  a  rufHe  of  drums, 
A  flash  of  color  beneath  the  sky : 

Hats  off ! 
The  flag  is  passing  by ! 

Blue  and  crimson  and  white  it  shines 
Over  the  steel-tipped,  ordered  lines. 

Hats  off ! 
The  colors  before  us  fly ; 
But  more  than  the  flag  is  passing  by. 

Sea  fights  and  land  fights,  grim  and  great, 
Fought  to  make  and  save  the  State ; 
Weary  marches  and  sinking  ships ; 
Cheers  of  victory  on  dying  lips ; 

Days  of  plenty  and  years  of  peace ; 
March  of  a  strong  land's  swift  increase ; 
Equal  justice,  right,  and  law. 
Stately  honor  and  revered  awe ; 

Sign  of  a  nation,  great  and  strong 
To  ward  her  people  from  foreign  wrong ; 
Pride  and  glory  and  honor,  —  all 
Live  in  the  colors  to  stand  or  fall. 


Memory  Training  139 

Hats  off ! 
Along  the  street  there  comes 
A  blare  of  bugles,  a  ruffle  of  drums ; 
And  loyal  hearts  are  beating  high : 

Hats  off ! 

The  flag  is  passing  by. 

Henry  Holcomb  Bennett 

I  Am  the  Captain  of  My  Soul 

Out  of  the  night  that  covers  me, 

Black  as  the  Pit  from  pole  to  pole, 
I  thank  whatever  gods  may  be 

For  my  unconquerable  soul. 

In  the  fell  clutch  of  circumstance 

I  have  not  winced  nor  cried  aloud. 
Under  the  bludgeonings  of  chance 

My  head  is  bloody,  but  unbowed. 

Beyond  this  place  of  wrath  and  tears 

Looms  but  the  Horror  of  the  shade. 
And  yet  the  menace  of  the  years 

Finds,  and  shall  find,  me  unafraid. 

It  matters  not  how  strait  the  gate, 

How  charged  with  punishments  the  scroll, 

I  am  the  master  of  my  fate : 
I  am  the  captain  of  my  soul. 

William  Ernest  Henley 

America  the  Beautiful 

O  beautiful  for  spacious  skies. 

For  amber  waves  of  grain, 
For  purple  mountain  majesties 

Above  the  fruited  plain ! 


140  Community  English 

America!  America! 
God  shed  His  grace  on  thee 
And  crown  thy  good  with  brotherhood 
From  sea  to  shining  sea ! 


O  beautiful  for  pilgrim  feet, 

Whose  stern,  impassioned  stress 
A  thoroughfare  for  freedom  beat 

Across  the  wilderness ! 
America !  America ! 

God  mend  thy  every  flaw. 
Confirm  thy  soul  in  self-control, 

Thy  liberty  in  law  ! 

O  beautiful  for  heroes  proved 

In  Kberating  strife, 
Who  more  than  self  their  country  loved. 

And  mercy  more  than  life  ! 
America !  America ! 

May  God  thy  gold  refine 
Till  all  success  be  nobleness 

And  every  gain  divine  ! 


O  beautiful  for  patriot  dream 

That  sees  beyond  the  years 
Thine  alabaster  cities  gleam 

Undimmed  by  human  tears ! 
America !  America ! 

God  shed  His  grace  on  thee 
And  crown  thy  good  with  brotherhood 

From  sea  to  shining  sea  ! 


Katharine  Lee  Bates 


Memory  Training  141 


The  National  Flag 

There  is  the  national  flag !  He  must  be  cold,  indeed,  who  can 
look  upon  its  folds  rippling  in  the  breeze  without  pride  of  coun- 
try. If  he  be  in  a  foreign  land,  the  flag  is  companionship  and 
country  itself,  with  all  its  endearments.  It  has  been  called  a 
*' floating  piece  of  poetry,"  and  yet  I  know  not  if  it  have  greater 
beauty  than  other  ensigns.  Its  highest  beauty  is  in  what  it 
symbolizes.  It  is  because  it  represents  all,  that  all  gaze  at  it 
with  delight  and  reverence.  It  is  a  piece  of  bunting  lifted  in 
the  air,  but  it  speaks  sublimely,  and  every  part  has  a  voice.  Its 
stripes  of  alternate  red  and  white  proclaim  the  original  union  of 
thirteen  States  to  maintain  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Its  stars  of  white  on  a  field  of  blue  proclaim  that  union  of  States 
constituting  our  national  constellation,  which  receives  a  new 
star  with  every  new  State.  The  two  together  signify  union, 
past  and  present.  The  very  colors  have  a  language  which  was 
officially  recognized  by  our  fathers.  White  is  for  purity,  red 
for  valor,  blue  for  justice;  and  all  together,  bunting,  stars, 
stripes,  and  colors,  blazing  in  the  sky,  make  the  flag  of  our 
country  —  to  be  cherished  by  all  our  hearts,  to  be  upheld  by 

all  our  hands. 

Charles  Sumner 

If 

If  you  can  keep  your  head  when  all  about  you 

Are  losing  theirs  and  blaming  it  on  you. 
If  you  can  trust  yourself  when  all  men  doubt  you, 

But  make  allowance  for  their  doubting  too ; 
If  you  can  wait  and  not  be  tired  by  waiting. 

Or  being  lied  about,  don't  deal  in  lies. 
Or  being  hated  don't  give  way  to  hating. 

And  yet  don't  look  too  good,  nor  talk  too  wise : 


142  Community  English 

If  you  can  dream  —  and  not  make  dreams  your  master ; 

If  you  can  think  —  and  not  make  thoughts  your  aim, 
If  you  can  meet  with  Triumph  and  Disaster 

And  treat  those  two  imposters  just  the  same ; 
If  you  can  bear  to  hear  the  truth  youVe  spoken 

Twisted  by  knaves  to  make  a  trap  for  fools, 
Or  watch  the  thing  you  gave  your  life  to,  broken, 

And  stoop  and  build  'em  up  with  worn-out  tools : 

If  you  can  make  one  heap  of  all  your  winnings 

And  risk  it  on  one  turn  of  pitch-and-toss, 
And  lose,  and  start  again  at  your  beginnings 

And  never  breathe  a  word  about  your  loss ; 
If  you  can  force  your  heart  and  nerve  and  sinew 

To  serve  your  turn  long  after  they  are  gone, 
And  so  hold  on  when  there  is  nothing  in  you 

Except  the  Will  which  says  to  them :  "Hold  on  !" 

If  you  can  talk  with  crowds  and  keep  your  virtue. 

Or  walk  with  Kings  —  nor  lose  the  common  touch, 
If  neither  foes  nor  loving  friends  can  hurt  you. 

If  all  men  count  with  you,  but  none  too  much ; 
If  you  can  fill  the  unforgiving  minute 

With  sixty  seconds'  worth  of  distance  run, 
Yours  is  the  Earth  and  everything  that's  in  it. 

And  —  which  is  more  —  you'll  be  a  Man,  my  son ! 

RuDYARD  Kipling 

Some  boys  and  girls  have  taken  pride  in  memorizing  a 
short  quotation  each  day.  They  generally  choose  the 
verse  for  that  day  written  by  their  teacher  upon  the  black- 
board. If  you  wish  you  may  use  the  following  quotations 
as  a  foundation  for  your  memory  storehouse.  Try  to  add 
at  least  one  new  quotation  each  week. 


Memory  Training  143 

Quotations 

Speak  clearly,  if  you  speak  at  all, 
Carve  every  word  before  you  let  it  fall. 

O.  W.  Holmes 
Be  strong ! 

We  are  not  here  to  play,  to  dream,  to  drift. 
We  have  hard  work  to  do,  and  loads  to  lift. 
Shun  not  the  struggle ;  face  it.     'Tis  God's  gift. 

Maltbie  Babcock 

Do  noble  things,  not  dream  them  all  day  long ; 

And  so  make  life,  death,  and  that  vast  forever 

One  grand,  sweet  song. 

Charles  Kingsley 

The  heights  by  great  men  reached  and  kept 

Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight. 

But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 

Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night. 

H.  W.  Longfellow 

Reading  is  to  the  mind  what  exercise  is  to  the  body. 

Oliver  Goldsmith 

Opportunity 

They  do  me  wrong  who  say  I  come  no  more, 
When  once  I  knock  and  fail  to  find  you  in ; 
For  every  day  I  stand  outside  your  door,  ^ 
And  bid  you  wake,  and  rise  to  fight  and  win. 

Malone 

We  should  accustom  the  mind  to  the  best  company  by  in- 
troducing it  only  to  the  best  books. 

Sydney  Smith 


144  Community  English 

Nobility 

True  worth  is  in  being,  not  seeming, 

In  doing  each  day  that  goes  by 

Some  little  good  —  not  in  dreaming 

Of  great  things  to  do  by  and  by ; 

For  whatever  men  say  in  blindness. 

And  spite  of  the  fancies  of  youth, 

There's  nothing  so  kingly  as  kindness, 

There's  nothing  so  royal  as  truth. 

Alice  Gary 

Work  for  some  good,  be  it  ever  so  slowly ! 
Cherish  some  flower,  be  it  ever  so  lowly ! 
Labor !    All  labor  is  noble  and  holy ; 
Let  thy  great  deed  be  thy  prayer  to  thy  God. 

Fannie  S.  Osgood 

The  year's  at  the  spring, 

And  day's  at  the  morn ; 

Morning's  at  seven ; 

The  hillside's  dew  pearled ; 

The  lark's  on  the  wing ; 

The  snail's  on  the  thorn ; 

God's  in  his  heaven  — 

All's  right  with  the  world ! 

Robert  Browning 

Honor  and  shame  from  no  condition  rise ; 
Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies. 

Alexander  Pope 

Our  greatest  glory  consists  not  in  never  falling,  but  in  rising 
every  time  we  fall. 

Oliver  Goldsmith 


Memory  Training  I45 

Howe'er  it  be,  it  seems  to  me, 
'Tis  only  noble  to  be  good ; 
Kind  hearts  are  more  than  coronets, 
And  simple  faith  than  Norman  blood. 

Alfred,  Lord  Tennyson 

There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune. 

William  Shakespeare 

Let  us  have  faith  that  right  makes  might,  and  in  that  faith 

let  us  do  our  duty  as  we  understand  it. 

Abraham  Lincoln 

Did  you  tackle  the  trouble  that  came  your  way 

With  a  resolute  heart  and  cheerful? 

Or  hide  your  face  from  the  light  of  day 

With  a  craven  soul  and  fearful? 

Oh,  a  trouble's  a  ton,  or  a  trouble's  an  ounce. 

Or  a  trouble  is  what  you  make  it ; 

And  it  isn't  the  fact  that  you're  hurt  that  counts. 

But  only,  How  did  you  take  it  f 

Edmund  Vance  Cooke 

They  are  slaves  who  dare  not  be 

In  the  right  with  two  or  three. 

James  Russell  Lowell 

It  is  well  to  think  well ;  it  is  divine  to  act  well. 

Horace  Mann 

This  world  is  not  so  bad  a  world 
As  some  would  like  to  make  it ; 
Though  whether  good  or  whether  bad 
Depends  on  how  we  take  it. 

Unknown 


146  Community  English 

Laugh  and  the  world  laughs  with  you, 

Weep  and  you  weep  alone ; 

For  this  sad  old  Earth  must  borrow  its  mirth  — 

It  has  troubles  enough  of  its  own. 

Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox 

Serene,  I  fold  my  hands  and  wait, 

Whate'er  the  storms  of  life  may  be. 

Faith  guides  me  up  to  heaven's  gate, 

And  love  will  bring  my  own  to  me. 

John  Burroughs 

Somebody  said  that  it  couldn't  be  done. 

But  he  with  a  chuckle  replied 
That  maybe  ''it  couldn't,"  but  he  would  be  one 

Who  wouldn't  say  so  till  he'd  tried. 
So  he  buckled  right  in  with  a  trace  of  a  grin 

On  his  face.     If  he  worried,  he  hid  it. 
He  started  to  sing  as  he  tackled  the  thing 

That  couldn't  be  done,  and  he  did  it. 

Edgar  A.  Guest 

Let  me  live  in  my  house  by  the  side  of  the  road. 

Where  the  race  of  men  go  by. 
They  are  good,  they  are  bad,  they  are  weak,  they  are  strong, 

Wise,  foolish  :  so  am  I. 
Then  why  should  I  sit  in  the  scorner's  seat. 

Or  hurl  the  cynic's  ban  ? 

Let  me  live  in  my  house  by  the  side  of  the  road. 

And  be  a  friend  of  man. 

Sam  Walter  Foss 

Home's  not  merely  four  square  walls, 
Though  with  pictures  hung  and  gilded ; 

Home  is  where  affection  calls  — 

Where  its  shrine  the  heart  has  builded. 


Memory  Training  147 

Whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are  just, 
whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  what- 
soever things  are  of  good  report;    if  there  be  any  virtue,  and 

if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things. 

Bible 

If  you  would  live  with  ease. 

Do  what  you  ought,  not  what  you  please. 

Benjamin  Franklin 

Be  noble !  and  the  nobleness  that  lies 
In  other  men,  sleeping  but  never  dead, 
Will  rise  in  majesty  to  meet  thine  own. 

James  Russell  Lowell 

Be  just  and  fear  not ; 

Let  all  the  ends  thou  aimest  at  be  thy  country's, 

Thy  God's,  and  truth's. 

William  Shakespeare 


PART  XI.     GAMES   AND   CONTESTS 

More  prominent  in  boys  than  in  girls,  but  present  to 
some  degree  in  every  one,  is  the  instinct  to  fight  —  the  desire 
not  to  be  overcome,  but  to  win.  Usually,  we  think  of 
contests  and  games  as  belonging  to  the  playground,  but 
where  victories  of  the  intellect  may  be  substituted  for 
victories  of  physical  skill,  contests  may  take  place  in  the 
classroom  as  well  as  in  the  gymnasium  or  on  the  play- 
ground. 

Within  the  last  few  years  there  has  grown  up  a  series 
of  games  suitable  for  use  in  the  EngHsh  classroom.  Gram- 
mar Baseball,  Paragraph  Archery,  Authors,  Spelling 
Contests,  and  Debates  are  but  a  few  of  these  games  for 
which  boys  and  girls  have  either  followed  the  simple  direc- 
tions suggested  here,  or  for  which  they  have  made  their  own 
rules. 

It  is  well  to  remember  in  connection  with  these  games, 
however,  that  sportsmanship  is  as  important  a  requisite 
in  games  in  the  classroom  as  in  games  on  the  playground. 
Team  work,  self-restraint,  and  fair  play  are  absolutely 
necessary  if  you  are  to  play  these  games  successfully. 
"  You  must  not  lose  courage  when  the  other  side  gets 
ahead.  You  are  to  play  just  as  hard  when  the  score  is 
ten  to  nothing  as  when  it  is  five  to  five.  No  one  can  tell 
what  may  happen  in  the  last  inning.  If  the  final  score  is 
ten  to  nothing,  you  must  not  go  off  with  your  head  down, 
or  say  that  the  opposing  team  didn't  win  fairly.  Say  in- 
stead that  next  time  the  result  will  be  different." 

148 


Games  and  Contests  149 

YOUR    GAME 
To  play  grammar  baseball. 

What  to  do.  — 

1 .  Divide  the  class  into  two  equal  parts,  called  teams. 

2.  Each  team  chooses  a  captain. 

3.  The  two  captains  choose  a  scorekeeper. 

4.  Upon   the  blackboard    the    scorekeeper    draws    two 
figures  of  four  bases  each,  one  for  each  team. 


5.  The  teacher  acts  as  umpire.  The  umpire  is  authority 
on  all  disputed  questions. 

6.  The  questions  are  announced  by  the  teacher  or  by 
one  of  the  captains. 

7.  Any  fair  question  which  deals  with  reading,  writing, 
spelling,  grammar,  or  literature  may  be  asked. 

8.  No  pupil  shall  be  called  by  name  until  after  the 
question  has  been  announced.  If  a  pupil  answers  without 
being  called  upon,  he  has  made  an  error  and  his  team  is 
penalized  for  one  base. 

9.  That  team  which  has  the  most  runs  to  its  credit 
wins  the  game. 

How  to  do  it.  — 

I.  The  questioner  calls  first  upon  one  side  then  upon 
the  other,  but  the  pupils  are  not  called  upon  in  any  regular 
order. 


150  Community  English 

2.  If  the  first  question  has  been  correctly  answered  by 
the  A's,  the  scorekeeper  draws  a  hne  to  first  base  on  A's 
diamond,  thus: 


^2) 


(2) 


(3)«  /•(!)  (3)«  •(!) 


/"" 


Home 


A's  B's 

3.  The  B's  are  given  a  chance.  If  the  question  is 
answered  correctly,  the  scorekeeper  gives  them  credit  for 
first  base  also. 


A^s  B's 

4.  If  the  B's  fail  to  answer  correctly,  and  the  A's  are 
able  to  reply  correctly,  the  score  is  marked  in  this  way : 

A's  B's 

5.  This  method  of  scoring  is  continued  until  the  end  of 
the  recitation  period,  when  the  final  result  is  announced. 

6.  When  a  player  reaches  the  home  base,  the  score- 
keeper  prepares  another  figure  of  four  bases,  in  order  that 
an  exact  record  may  be  kept.  Therefore,  at  the  end  of 
the  contest  the  score  may  look  something  like  this  when  the 
final  result  is  in  favor  of  the  A's,  two  to  one. 


Games  and  Contests  151 

A's  B's 

7.  The  answers  to  many  of  the  questions  should  be 
written  upon  the  blackboard.  Sometimes  several  pupils 
are  sent  to  the  board,  the  question  is  announced,  and  the 
pupil  who  first  answers  it  correctly  wins  the  credit. 

8.  Frequently,  in  the  opinion  of  the  teacher  the  question 
will  be  worth  two  bases  instead  of  one.  After  she  an- 
nounces this  decision,  the  pupils  are  sent  to  the  board,  the 
question  is  announced,  and  the  first  to  answer  correctly 
wins  the  credit. 

9.  When  preparing  for  a  grammar  baseball  game,  the 
pupils  may  write  out  questions  to  be  given  to  their  own 
captain.     He  may  ask  the  questions  of  the  rival  team. 

10.  Any  question  is  fair  which  is  based  upon  work  already 
covered  in  class.  The  following  suggestive  questions  are 
not  meant  to  be  exhaustive.  Your  own  list  may  be  much 
more  helpful. 

Suggestive  questions.  — 

1 .  What  are  four  diiBferent  kinds  of  sentences  ? 

2.  What  are  the  eight  parts  of  speech? 

3.  What  is  the  difference  between  a  common  and  a 
proper  noun? 

4.  What  is  a  pronoun? 

5.  Give  a  sentence  containing  a  transitive  verb. 

6.  What  is  an  intransitive  verb? 

7.  What  are  the  principal  parts  of  a  letter? 

8.  Write  the  address  for  an  envelope  on  the  blackboard. 


152  Community  English 

9.   Write  a  synopsis  of  the  verb  hear  in  all  tenses,  first 
person  singular  active  indicative. 

10.  Name  two  adverbs  and  two  prepositions. 

1 1 .  What  is  a  dependent  clause  ? 

12.  How  many  genders  are  there? 

13.  Give  the  past  tense  of  sit,  read,  write. 

14.  Compare  the  adverb  well. 

15.  Write  a  sentence  containing  an  infinitive. 

16.  Decline  the  pronoun  he. 

17.  What  is  the  meaning  of  each  of  the  following  abbre- 
viations : 

C.O.D.  chap.  M.D.  Ave. 

Anon.  qt.  bu.  R.R. 

D.D.  St.  bbl.  P.S. 

LL.D.  lb.  doz.  Supt. 

f.o.b.  oz.  sq.  Treas. 

mdse.  ft.  S.  Hon. 

O.K.  in.  N.  Inc. 

Y.M.C.A.  gal.  E.  Dr. 

U.S.A.  ans.  W.  Prof. 

R.S.V.P.  A.D.  A.B.  etc. 

fig.  D.C.  D.S.  P.O. 

lat.  A.A.A.  Ed.  Sec. 

long.  Ltd.  ff.     '  Rev. 

B.C.  G.A.R.  M.C.  Jr. 

reed.  I.W.W.  h.p.  Sr. 

acct.  V.C.  pro  tern.  Co. 

Messrs.  inst.  U.S.N.  Cr. 

amt.  prox.  ult.  Mr. 

bal.  pk.  pp.  Mrs. 


Games  and  Contests  153 

18.  Write  on  the  board  an  imperative  sentence,  an 
interrogative  sentence,  and  a  declarative  sentence. 

19.  Make  each  of  the  following  sentences  ask  a  question : 

a.  Mary  went  home. 

b.  The  bear  growled  and  bit  angrily  at  the  hornets' 

nest. 

c.  It  was  almost  all  rock,  this  little  island. 

d.  At  a  great  pace  the  bear  went  toward  the  sound. 

e.  Every  few  seconds  the  seal  would  slip  into  the 

water. 

20.  What  is  the  subject  and  predicate  in  each  of  the 
following  sentences : 

a.  Listen  to  the  nightingale. 

b.  Read  me  the  story. 

c.  Please  close  the  door. 

d.  Hitch  your  wagon  to  a  star. 

21.  Change  these  questions  to  declarative  sentences: 

a.  Did  his  mother  call  him? 

b.  Did  he  have  big,  faded  blue  eyes? 

c.  Have  you  a  knife? 

d.  Has  he  gone  home? 

e.  Could  you  read  the  letter  ? 
/.   May  I  go  home? 

22.  Pick  out  all  the  nouns  in  the  following  paragraph. 
Which  are  names  of  things,  which  are  names  of  persons? 

23.  Pick  out  all  the  adverbs  in  the  following  paragraph. 

24.  Pick  out  all  the  adjectives  in  the  following  paragraph. 

His  mother  named  him  Harold,  and  named  him  better  than 
she  knew.  He  was  just  such  a  boy  as  one  would  expect  to  see 
bearing  a  heroic  name.     He  had  big,  faded  blue  eyes,  a  nubbin 


154  Community  English 

of  a  chin,  wide,  wondering  ears,  and  freckles  —  such  brown 
blotches  of  freckles  on  his  face  and  neck  and  hands,  such  a 
milky  way  of  them  across  the  bridge  of  his  snub  nose,  that  the 
boys  called  him  "Mealy." 

William  Allen  White  :  The  Court  of  Boyville 

25.  Select  from  the  above  paragraph,  a  definite  article,  an 
indefinite  article. 

26.  How  many  verbs  are  there  in  the  selection  above? 

27.  Are  they  active  or  passive  verbs?     How  many  are 
transitive?     How  many  are  intransitive? 

28.  Is  an  intransitive  verb  ever  passive  in  form? 

29.  What  is  a  copulative  verb? 

30.  How  is  the  word  stone  used  in  the  following  sentence  ? 
The  boy  threw  a  stone. 

31.  Pick  out  the  direct  object  in  each  of  these  sentences : 

a.  The  bear  chased  the  hunter. 

b.  He  wore  a  long,  black  coat. 

c.  Harry  ate  three  oranges. 

d.  The  dog  has  a  new  blanket. 

32.  What  is  the  meaning  of  antonym;    of  synonym? 
Give  two  illustrations  of  each. 

33.  What  is  the  plural  of  each  of  the  following  words : 

tree  pencil 

boy  sailor 

house  hand 

cat  monkey 

day  play 

plain  •  key 

branch  brush 

glass  box 


Games  and  Contests  ISS 

cry  fly 

army  lady 

duty  city 

half  calf 

wolf  wife 

thief  life 

leaf  knife 

gulf  scarf 

dwarf  proof 

wharf  roof 

mouse  tooth 

woman  foot 

man  goose 

potato  buffalo 

hero  cargo 

negro  echo 

dozen  sheep 

fish  deer 

34.  Compare  the  following  adjectives :  small,  loud,  deep, 
great,  light,  thick. 

35.  Compare:  thin,  glad,  wet,  big,  hot. 

36.  Compare :  white,  brave,  true,  wise,  large,  fine. 

37.  Compare:  gay,  dry,  happy. 

38.  Compare :  good,  bad,  little,  much  or  many,  old,  late. 

39.  Compare  the  following  adverbs:    fast,  hard,  near, 
long,  early,  well. 

40.  Change  the  following  sentences  from  active  to  passive 
voice : 


156  Community  English 

a.  Our  fathers  brought  forth  upon  this  continent  a 
new  nation. 

h.  Love  conquers  all  things. 

c.  Manners  make  the  man. 

d.  You  cannot  teach  old  dogs  new  tricks. 

e.  Anger  manages  everything  badly. 

/.   April  showers  bring  forth  May  flowers. 

41.  Select  the  correct  word  for  each  of  these  sentences 
and  give  the  reason  for  your  choice : 

a.  My  sister  looks  like  (me,  I). 
h.  Do  it  (as,  like)  I  do  it. 

c.  Do  it  (as,  like)  me. 

d.  Give  it  to  Jack  and  (I,  me). 

e.  He  is  taller  than  (I,  me) . 

/.   She  is  shorter  than  (he,  him). 

42.  Select  the  correct  word  for  each  of  the  following 
sentences  and  in  each  case  give  the  reason  for  your  choice : 

a.  Neither  of  the  girls  (has,  have)  it. 
h.  Who  is  going,  you  or  (I,  me)  ? 

c.  (Who,  whom)  did  this  come  from? 

d.  (May,  can)  I  have  a  drink? 

e.  I  am  (most,  almost)  ready. 

/.  The  child  ran  (in,  into)  the  pantry. 

g.  Divide  it  (among,  between)  you  two. 

h.  My  dress  is  different  (from,  to,  than)  yours. 

i.  Here  are  invitations  for  you  and  (her,  she). 

43.  Use  the  word  below  as  an  adverb  and  as  a  preposition. 
Use  the  word  hut  as  a  preposition,  as  a  conjunction,  and  as 
an  adverb. 


Games  and  Contests  I57 

44.  Put  into  plural  number  each  of  the  following  sen- 
tences : 

a.  My  book  is  lost. 

b.  The  box  is  here. 

c.  The  kitten  is  playing  with  a  ball. 

d.  The  bird  is  building  a  nest. 

e.  The  child  was  tired. 
/.  The  pony  was  stolen. 
g.  The  dog  has  run  away. 

h.  The  doll  has  been  broken. 
i.    I  have  finished  the  story. 
j.   I  do  not  like  tomatoes. 
k.  The  boy  does  his  work  well. 

45.  Give  the  principal  parts  of  the  following  verbs : 
come  rise  sing 

is  go  teach 

march  take  lie 

drink  bring  set 

46.  What  is  the  difference  in  meaning  between : 

eldest  and  oldest 

farther  and  further 

later  and  latter 

nearest  and  next 

47.  Write  sentences  containing : 

a.  a  noun  clause  used  as  subject  of  a  sentence 

b.  a  noun  clause  used  as  direct  object  of  a  sentence 

c.  an  infinitive  phrase  used  as  subject  of  a  sentence 

d.  an  infinitive  phrase  used  as  direct  object  of  a  verb 

48.  State  six  common  rules  of  punctuation. 


IS8  Community  English 

49.  In  the  following  sentences  change  each  infinitive 
phrase  to  a  clause : 

a.  I  decided  to  go  to  Chicago  to-morrow. 

]  b.  He  was  delighted  to  find  his  purse. 

c.  I  must  go  now  to  hear  him  lecture. 

d.  She  was  glad  to  see  the  play. 

50.  Continue  your  review  by  making  out  your  own  list 
of  questions.  The  foregoing  examples  may  suggest  other 
questions  to  you. 

YOUR   GAME 

To  conduct  a  spelling  contest. 

First  method.  —  If  you  wish,  you  may  challenge  the 
pupils  of  another  class  to  compete  with  you  in  this  contest. 

1.  Ask  your  teacher  to  divide  your  class  into  two  equal 
groups. 

2.  Choose  a  captain  for  each  side. 

3.  While  the  captains  are  distributing  paper  to  each 
pupil,  be  sure  that  your  pen  is  in  good  condition  and  that 
you  have  plenty  of  ink. 

4.  Upon  the  sheet  of  paper  given  to  you,  be  prepared 
to  write  the  sentences  read  aloud  by  the  teacher.  Try  to 
spell  correctly  each  word  pronounced. 

5.  As  soon  as  all  the  sentences  have  been  pronounced, 
ask  your  captains  to  collect  the  papers  and  deliver  them  to 
your  teacher. 

6.  Make  it  a  rule  of  this  contest  that  all  papers  shall  be 
looked  over  by  the  two  captains  and  the  teacher. 

7.  That  side  wins  which  has  the  smaller  total  number  of 
misspelled  words. 


Games  and  Contests  *      159 

Second  method.  — 

1.  Ask  your  teacher  to  appoint  two  captains. 

2.  Let  each  captain  choose  sides  until  every  pupil  in 
class  is  chosen. 

3.  Then  stand  and  try  to  spell  correctly  every  word 
pronounced  to  you  by  the  teacher.  If  you  spell  the  word 
incorrectly,  take  your  seat. 

4.  If  you  spell  a  word  out  of  turn  you  must  also  take  your 
seat. 

5.  That  side  wins  which  has  the  greater  number  of  pupils 
standing  when  the  contest  is  over. 

Third  method.  —  The  following  method  has  been  adopted 
by  the  boys  and  girls  of  a  school  in  Pennsylvania  and  has 
been  called  the  Baseball  System : 

The  schoolroom  is  the  diamond,  the  corners  being  used  for 
the  bases.  The  teacher  is  the  *' pitcher, "  the  pupils  are  the 
*' players."  A  pupil  ''at  bat"  advances  to  the  corner  of  the 
room  designated  as  the  ''plate"  and  the  teacher  pronounces 
three  words.  If  all  are  correctly  spelled  the  "player"  moves  to 
first  base,  having  made  a  "hit."  Each  succeeding  "player" 
who  makes  a  "hit"  advances  him  a  base  until  he  is  "scored." 
As  each  succeeding  "player"  makes  a  "safe"  hit  he  goes  to 
first  base,  and  the  "runs  scored"  count  for  the  side  the  players 
represent.  When  the  player  fails  to  spell  a  word  correctly  he  is 
declared  "out"  and  goes  to  his  seat,  which  is  the  "player's 
bench." 

Practice  list.  —  Here  is  a  list  of  two-hundred-fifty  trouble- 
some words.  For  practice  you  may  aim  to  spell  each  of 
these  words  correctly : 


i6o 


Community  English 


all  right 

agreeable 

column 

already 

apparatus 

choose 

athletics 

could 

absence 

benefited 

county 

appearance 

bouquet 

country 

altogether 

bulletin 

committee 

attendance 

banana 

clothes 

anxiety 

biscuit 

changeable 

article 

been 

coming 

agreeable 

buy 

accidentally 

business 

dissatisfy 

abbreviate 

breath 

description 

audience 

breathe 

definite 

accept 

beheve 

descendant 

accommodate 

beginning 

does 

accumulate 

blossom 

don't 

accompany 

boundary 

done 

affect 

balance 

development 

always 

beneficial 

doctor 

argument 

busy 

describe 

angle 

different 

any 

coast 

dining 

awning 

curiosity 

dinner 

avenue 

commodity 

disappear 

assistance 

commemorate 

disappoint 

assistants 

color 

destroy 

academy 

character 

despair 

advantage 

convenient 

decide 

annually 

calendar 

divide 

acknowledgment 

chauffeur 

definition 

acquaintance 

conscience 

decent 

Games  and  Contests 


i6i 


equal 

generally 

loose 

excel 

garage 

laboratory 

effect 

grammar 

lightning 

enough 

lieutenant 

early 

heard 

every 

height 

marvelous 

easy 

holiday 

moreover 

eighth 

having 

medicine 

experience 

hoping 

memorize 

exaggerate 

humorous 

milliner 

excellent 

making 

extraordinary 

its 

misspelled 

embarrass 

imagine 

mischievous 

especially 

immediately 

miscellaneous 

exceedingly 

information 

illustrate 

ninetieth 

February 

icicle 

noticeable 

familiar 

necessary 

foreign 

just 

ninety 

fulfill 

January 

niece 

finally 

judgment 

none 

fourth 

fifth 

kindly 

oblige 

four 

knew 

obliging 

forty 

know 

opposite 

friend 

occurred 

feel 

led 

occasion 

laid 

often 

guess 

lead 

obstacle 

gasoline 

losing 

opinion 

governor 

lose 

oflicer 

l62 


Gommunity  English 


please 

referred 

till 

piece 

reference 

threw 

pencil 

together 

perform 

separate 

toward 

possession 

superintendent 

though 

peaceable 

stationary 

thorough 

physician 

stationery 

there 

practical 

sincerely 

their 

planned 

succeed 

truly 

preparation 

source 

typical 

principal 

surprise 

two 

principle 

straight 

too 

privilege 

siege 

professor 

sugar 

village 

prejudice 

some 

villain 

parallel 

seize 

similar 

vegetable 

quiet 

stopped 

women 

quite 

several 

weather 

studying 

written 

religion 

Wednesday 

relative 

treasure 

whole 

recommend 

through 

would 

receive 

thought 

which 

YOUR    GAME 
To  take  part  in  a  paragraph  archery  contest 
Instructions.  — 

1.  Ask  your  teacher  to  act  as  referee  of  the  game. 

2.  Choose  two  of  your  classmates  to  act  as  captains  of 


Games  and  Contests 


163 


the  teams.     Each  captain  will  choose  sides  until  all  pupils 
are  chosen. 

3.  Select  a  scorekeeper  who  shall  keep  a  record  of  tl^e 
game  upon  the  blackboard.  As  soon  as  he  is  selected, 
let  him  draw  a  paragraph  target  within  which  is  written 
the  topic  sentence  announced  by  the  teacher. 


4.  As  soon  as  you  are  called  upon  by  the  referee,  be 
prepared  to  give  a  sentence  which  will  hit  the  mark  and  help 
build  up  the  paragraph.  If  your  sentence  adds  to  the 
thought  of  the  topic  sentence,  the  scorekeeper  will  mark  it 
thus:  ^^-^       ^^ 


If  your   sentence   fails   to   hit   the  mark   the   score  is 
marked  in  this  way:  \^^ 


5.  The  captains  of  the  opposing  teams  are  called  upon 
first.  After  that  other  pupils  are  called  upon  but  not  in 
regular  order.  Any  one  answering  out  of  turn  is  penaHzed 
and  one  credit  is  deducted  from  the  score  of  his  team. 


164  Community  English 

6.  As  many  different  targets  may  be  used  as  there  are 
different  topic  sentences  announced  by  the  referee. 

7.  The  side  having  the  smaller  number  of  errors  wins. 

8.  The  final  score  may  look  like  this : 


A's  =  2  errora 
.  ^f^    D'5  =  1  error 
w\.Bs   win 


How  the  game  was  played.  —  After  reading  over  the 
instructions  given  above,  you  may  think  that  the  game  of 
paragraph  archery  is  too  difficult  to  play  often,  but  if  you 
read  the  following  account  of  how  some  Minnesota  boys  and 
girls  played  archery  you  may  have  a  clearer  understanding 
of  just  what  to  do. 

Tom  was  chosen  captain  of  one  team  and  George  was 
made  captain  of  the  other.  Sarah,  the  scorekeeper,  wrote 
upon  the  blackboard  the  topic  sentence  announced  by  the 
referee.     The  target  then  looked  Uke  this : 


Games  and  Contests 


i6s 


The  referee  called  upon  Tom  for  a  sentence.  He  arose  and 
said,  "  It  was  more  like  the  figure  of  a  fairy  than  of  a  man." 
The  class  decided  that  the  sentence  had  hit  the  mark,  so 
Sarah  marked  it  thus : 


^kJgDreof 


When  George  was  called  upon  he  replied,  "  The  windows 
shook  and  the  doors  rattled."  "  Error,"  voted  the  class 
and  Sarah  indicated  it  in  this  way : 


Life  fi 


Then  Tom^s  first  assistant  said,  "  His  body  could  bend  it- 
self in  every  direction,  it  was  so  elastic."  "  Scored," 
declared  the  class  and  Sarah  wrote : 


i66 


Community  English 


When  the  game  was  finished,  the  blackboard  score  looked 
like  this :  7, 


The  game  had  been  won  by  George's  team  which  had  made 
but  a  single  error. 

The  completed  paragraph,  built  up  by  the  class  read  as 
follows : 

At  that  instant  the  door  burst  open  and  a  most  extraordinary 
figure  entered.  It  was  more  like  the  figure  of  a  fairy  than  that 
of  a  man.  His  body  could  bend  itself  in  every  direction,  it  was 
so  elastic.  He  wore  a  red  mantle  and  two  huge  silvery  wings 
fluttered  from  his  shoulders.  But  his  strangest  and  most  re- 
markable characteristic  were  his  eyes  which  glistened  like 
lighted  candles  as  his  feet  glided  over  the  floor. 


Games  and  Contests  167 

YOUR   GAME 
To  take  part  in  an  essay  contest. 

Instructions.  — 

1 .  Discuss  in  class  a  plan  for  displaying  ten  of  the  most 
interesting  compositions  written  during  the  month. 

2.  Choose  a  committee  of  three  to  work  with  the  teacher 
in  selecting  these  ten  compositions. 

3.  Select  another  group  of  three  to  make  an  album  or 
portfolio  in  which  the  compositions  selected  shall  be  placed. 
Upon  the  cover  of  this  album  should  be  lettered  the  words : 
Best  Compositions  of  the  Month, 

4.  Place  the  album,  containing  these  compositions,  upon 
a  table  in  the  classroom,  in  the  study  hall  or  in  the  school 
library. 

5.  At  the  end  of  four  weeks  remove  these  compositions 
and  carefully  file  them  for  future  reference.  Put  the  ten 
best  compositions  for  the  next  month  in  their  place. 

6.  Arrange  to  have  a  prize  given  to  the  pupil  who  during 
the  year  has  the  greatest  number  of  best  compositions  on 
exhibition.  Such  a  prize  may  be  donated  by  some  friend 
of  the  school.  Letters  may  be  written  by  each  member  of 
the  class,  asking  some  one  to  offer  a  prize  for  this  contest 
and  the  best  letter  will  be  sent. 

YOUR   CONTEST 

To  take  part  in  a  prize  speaking  contest. 

Did  you  ever  attend  a  Prize  Speaking  Contest?  Why 
were  you  especially  interested  in  the  result?    How  many 


i68  Community  English 

prizes  were  awarded?  Were  the  speakers  allowed  to  have 
special  training  for  the  contest?  Was  this  training  given 
by  the  teachers  or  by  some  one  outside  the  school?  How 
were  the  speakers  chosen?  Why  would  you  like  or  dislike 
to  take  part  in  such  a  contest?  Give  reasons  to  prove  that 
a  contest  of  this  kind  raises  the  standard  of  oral  English 
in  the  school.  Debate  informally  the  question,  Resolved : 
That  this  class  shall  conduct  a  prize  speaking  contest. 
Read  the  following  suggestions  before  completing  your 
plans  for  the  contest. 

Suggestions. — 

1.  With  your  teacher  and  classmates  discuss  plans  for 
a  class  prize  speaking  contest. 

2.  Select  three  prominent  people  in  your  community 
to  act  as  judges. 

3.  Choose  a  committee  of  two  or  three  from  your  class 
to  invite  these  distinguished  people  to  act. 

4.  Ask  your  teacher  to  preside  as  chairman  of  the  con- 
test or  choose  one  of  your  classmates  to  do  so. 

5.  If  your  teacher  approves,  you  may  invite  your 
friends  to  this  contest. 

6.  If  there  is  extra  money  in  the  class  treasury,  you 
may  use  it  to  buy  two  prizes  of  books,  one  for  a  boy  and 
one  for  a  girl. 

7.  Prepare  for  the  contest  in  this  way :  choose  a  favorite 
short  selection  of  prose  or  poetry,  read  it  aloud  several  times 
at  home,  then  read  it  to  your  teacher.  After  your  teacher 
approves  of  your  selection  you  may  memorize  it ;  for  the 
least  you  can  do  toward  winning  the  prize  is  to  learn  the 
words. 


Games  and  Contests  169 

8.  Make  it  a  rule  of  this  contest  that  there  shall  be  no 
prompting. 

9.  Be  sure  that  every  member  of  the  class  takes  part 
in  the  contest. 

10.  Remember  on  the  day  of  the  contest  that  it  is  impor- 
tant for  you  to  be  a  good  hstener  as  well  as  a  good  speaker. 

11.  On  the  day  of  the  contest,  when  your  name  is  called, 
try  to  remember  these  suggestions : 

a.  Be  quiet  and  natural  in  manner. 

h.  Speak  clearly,  and  pronounce  each  word  carefully. 

c.  Do  not  think  about  gestures  but  try  to  make  your 
audience  understand  the  meaning  of  the  selection 
you  are  reading. 

d.  Keep  in  mind  this  quotation,  "  Straight  from  the 
mighty  bow  this  truth  is  driven;  they  fail  and 
they  alone,  who  have  not  striven." 

12.  As  soon  as  the  contest  is  over  and  the  chairman  of 
judges  has  announced  the  decision,  ask  your  Principal  to 
award  the  prizes. 

YOUR    CONTEST 
To  take  part  in  a  debate. 

Frequently  a  question  arises  which  has  two  sides  worth 
discussing.  How  would  you  like  to  take  the  side  of  the 
question  you  believe  to  be  right  and  give  reasons  for  your 
opinion?  If  a  classmate  argues  for  his  opinion  which  differs 
from  yours,  you  will  be  debating  the  question.  Usually 
more  than  two  people  take  part  in  a  debate.  It  is  always 
well  to  remember  that  although  you  are  sure  your  opinion 


170  Community  English 

is  right  still  your  opponents  may  have  such  good  arguments 
that  you  will  wish  to  change  your  opinion. 

If  you  have  had  no  practice  in  debating  it  will  be  wise  to 
arrange  class  debates  until  you  become  famihar  with  the 
manner  in  which  a  debate  is  conducted.  Then  interclass, 
and  even  school  debates,  may  be  conducted.  To  these 
latter  debates  you  may  invite  your  friends  if  your  teacher 
has  no  objection.  Write  informal  notes  of  invitation. 
Talk  over  the  question  chosen  with  older  people  and  study 
the  following  suggestions : 

Suggestions.  — 

1 .  Whenever  you  give  reasons  for  or  against  any 
question,  trying  to  make  some  one  else  believe  what  you 
believe,  you  use  Argument. 

2.  A  debate  is  an  argument  carried  on  according  to 
fixed  rules  by  two  chosen  sides. 

3.  The  subject  of  a  debate  is  given  as  a  statement;  for 
example. 

Resolved:  That  dogs  have  intelligence. 
Resolved:  That  baseball  is  a  better  game  than  foot- 
ball. 

4.  When  you  are  in  favor  of  the  question,  you  are  on  the 
Affirmative  side  of  the  question.  If  you  oppose  the  question 
you  are  on  the  Negative  side. 

5.  Each  side  chooses  a  captain  or  leader. 

6.  The  leader  of  the  affirmative  side  speaks  first,  the 
leader  of  the  negative  side  speaks  second.  The  second 
speaker  for  the  affirmative  side  speaks  third,  and  is  followed 
by  the  second  speaker  for  the  negative  side.  The  debaters 
speak   alternately   until   all   have   spoken.    Usually   the 


Games  and  Contests  171 

negative  side  sums  up  first  and  the  affirmative  leader  speaks 
last. 

7.  When  you  destroy  or  overthrow  your  opponents' 
arguments,  you  refute  them. 

8.  Judges  may  be  chosen  to  decide  the  debate  or  a 
class  vote  may  decide  the  question. 

9.  Having  arranged  a  debate  between  two  teams  from 
your  own  class  or  having  challenged  some  other  class  to 
debate  with  you,  choose  your  subject  and  find  out  all  you 
can  about  both  sides  of  the  question. 

10.  Make  a  list  of  clear  statements  about  the  facts  and 
give  this  Hst  to  the  captain  of  your  team.  He,  as  well  as 
each  member  of  his  team,  should  have  a  written  outline 
of  the  most  important  points  to  be  debated.  This  outline 
may  be  written  upon  slips  of  paper  or  pieces  of  cardboard 
about  three  inches  by  five  inches  in  size.  The  notes  should 
be  written  upon  one  side  only  of  the  paper  and  the  para- 
graph divisions  should  be  indicated  clearly. 

11.  As  you  debate,  remember  to  pick  out  your  most 
important  arguments  and  stick  to  those  arguments. 

12.  Because  is  not  a  sufficient  reason.  Every  statement 
must  be  based  on  fact.  Be  careful  to  have  your  proof  ready 
in  case  it  is  called  for. 

13.  Before  your  time  is  up,  sum  up  your  most  important 
arguments. 

14.  Play  fair.  Do  not  lose  your  temper.  Be  courteous. 
Remember  that  you  are  not  attacking  your  opponent,  you 
are  attacking  his  arguments. 

Subjects  suggested  for  debate.  —  The  suggested  subjects 
listed  below  may  help  you  to  think  of  others  far  more  satis- 


172  Community  English 

factory  than  any  mentioned  here.  For  still  greater  variety 
in  subjects,  consult  the  index  of  this  book,  your  teacher,  and 
the  school  librarian.  Much  valuable  printed  matter 
containing  lists  of  subjects  for  debate  may  be  obtained 
free,  or  at  little  cost,  from  the  Superintendent  of  Documents, 
United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  Washington,  D.C. 

1.  Resolved:    That  military  training  should  be  com- 
pulsory in  this  school. 

2.  Resolved:    That  Lincoln  was  a  greater  man  than 
Washington. 

3.  Resolved :  That  motion  pictures  have  a  bad  influence 
upon  boys  and  girls. 

4.  Resolved :  That  English  is  the  most  important  subject 
in  the  grammar  school. 

5.  Resolved :   That  this  class  should  issue  a  class  maga- 
zine at  least  twice  a  year. 

6.  Resolved :   That  clocks  should  be  set  ahead  an  hour 
the  last  Sunday  in  March. 

7.  Resolved:  That  every  boy  should   become   a   Boy 
Scout. 

8.  Resolved:    That   textbooks   should   be   free  to  the 
pupils  in  this  school. 

9.  Resolved :  That  every  girl  should  be  required  to  study 
cooking  and  sewing. 

10.  Resolved :   That  basket  ball  provides  better  exercise 
than  tennis. 

1 1 .  Resolved :  That  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  our  greatest 
President. 

12.  Resolved:    That  Roderick  Dhu  was  a  more  worthy 
suitor  for  the  hand  of  Ellen  than  was  Malcolm  Graeme. 


Games  and  Contests  173 

13.  Resolved :  That  the  piano  offers  more  advantage  as  a 
source  of  pleasure  in  the  home  than  does  the  phonograph. 

14.  Resolved :  That  the  telegraph  is  more  useful  to  man 
than  is  the  telephone. 

15.  Resolved:   That  life  in  the  Virginia  colony  was  more 
enjoyable  than  life  in  the  Plymouth  colony. 

16.  Resolved:    That   baseball   is   a   better   game  than 
football. 

17.  Resolved :  That  manual  training  should  be  taught  in 
this  school. 

18.  Resolved:    That  the  raising  of  Jersey  cows  is  more 
profitable  than  the  raising  of  Holsteins. 

19.  Resolved:     That    capital    punishment    should    be 
abolished. 

20.  Resolved :    That  the  Pied  Piper  did  right  in  leading 
away  the  children. 

21.  Resolved:    That  the   treatment  of  the  Acadians  in 
the  story  of  Evangeline  was  unjust. 

22.  Resolved :  That  the  pubKc  library  should  be  open  on 
Sundays. 

23.  Resolved :  That  grammar  school  pupils  should  receive 
training  in  debating. 

24.  Resolved :  That  interclass  football  promotes  the  best 
interests  of  this  school. 

25.  Resolved :  That  Rebecca  is  the  heroine  of  Ivanhoe, 

YOUR    GAME 
To  take  part  in  a  contest  about  American  authors. 

Instructions.  —  Quite  unlike  the  game  of  Authors  that 
you  may  have  played  at  home,  when  a  child,  is  this  game 


174  Community  English 

of  American  Authors.  Boys  and  girls  in  other  English 
classes  have  worked  out  these  rules  and  instructions,  but 
perhaps  you  can  think  of  still  other  rules  to  make  the 
game  even  more  interesting. 

1.  Play  this  game  at  least  once  a  month,  if  possible. 

2.  Let  each  pupil  in  the  class  stand. 

3.  As  the  teacher  reads  from  this  Hst,  either  the  name 
of  the  book  or  the  author  of  the  book,  the  pupil  responds 
with  the  name  of  the  author  or  the  name  of  one  of  his 
works.  For  instance,  if  your  teacher  reads  from  the  list 
the  name  of  Henry  W.  Longfellow,  you  should  give  the 
name  of  any  of  his  writings,  Evangeline,  Hiawatha,  The 
Courtship  of  Miles  Standish,  etc.  If,  however,  the  teacher 
announces  the  name  Hiawatha,  you  should  reply,  Henry 
W.  Longfellow. 

4.  If  the  pupil  called  upon  fails  to  respond  with  the 
correct  name,  he  must  take  his  seat. 

5 .  The  pupil  who  remains  standing  longest  wins  the  game. 

6.  Frequently  the  teacher  writes  the  name  of  an  author 
at  the  top  of  a  small  card.  Under  the  author's  name  she 
places  a  list  of  his  writings.  These  cards  are  convenient 
to  handle  rapidly.  Sometimes  this  contest  is  made  a 
written  exercise.  Then,  the  pupil  having  the  greatest 
number  of  correct  answers  wins. 

Reference  list  of  authors  and  books.^  —  No  attempt  has 
been  made  to  make  this  a  complete  list  of  worthy  American 

^  For  further  reference  see : 

Cairns  —  American  Literature  for  Secondary  Schools. 

Page  —  Chief  American  Poets. 

Painter  —  Introduction  to  American  Literature. 

Tisdel  —  A  Brief  Survey  of  English  and  American  Literature. 

Wendell  —  Literary  History  of  America. 


Games  and  Contests 


175 


authors.  Only  the  most  important  authors  and  titles 
have  been  named.  You  will  think  of  many  other  writers 
and  many  other  titles  which  should  be  added  to  the  list 
used  in  your  contests. 


1.  Benjamin  Franklin 
Autobiography 

Poor  Richard's  Almanac 

2.  Washington  Irving 
Sketch  Book 
Alhambra 

3.  James  Fenimore  Cooper 
The  Deerslayer 

The  Spy 

The  Last  of  the  Mohicans 

The  Pilot 

4.  Nathaniel  Hawthorne 
Twice  Told  Tales 

The  Wonder  Book 
Tanglewood  Tales 
The  House  of  Seven  Gables 
The  Scarlet  Letter 

5.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe 
Uncle  Tom's  Cabin 

6.  Francis  Scott  Key 

The  Star  Spangled  Banner 

7.  Samuel  Wood  worth 
The  Old  Oaken  Bucket 

8.  John  Howard  Payne 
Home  Sweet  Home 

9.  William  Cullen  Bryant 
Thanatopsis 

Many  other  poems 

10.  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson 
Essays 

11.  Abraham  Lincoln 
The  Gettysburg  Address 

12.  Henry  W.  Longfellow 
Evangeline 


Hiawatha 

Courtship  of  Miles  Standish 

The  Children's  Hour 

The  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus 

The  Village  Blacksmith 

A  Psalm  of  Life 

The  Building  of  the  Ship 

13.  James  Russell  Lowell 
The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal 
The  Courtin' 

14.  John  Greenleaf  Whittier 
Snow  Bound 

The  Barefoot  Boy 

15.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes 
The  One  Hoss  Shay 
Elsie  Venner 

16.  Edgar  Allan  Poe 
Annabel  Lee 

The  Bells 
The  Raven 
The  Gold  Bug 

17.  Henry  David  Thoreau 
Walden 

18.  Francis  Parkman 
Oregon  Trail 

19.  Walt  Whitman 

O  Captain !  my  Captain ! 

20.  Helen  Hunt  Jackson 
Ramona 

21.  Mark  Twain 
Tom  Sawyer 
Huckleberry  Finn 

The  Prince  and  the  Pauper 


176 


Community  English 


22.  Henry  Sydnor  Harrison 
Queed 

23.  BretHarte 

The  Luck  of  Roaring  Camp 
The  Outcasts  of  Poker  Flat 
Poems 

24.  Edward  Everett  Hale 
The  Man  Without  a  Country 

25.  Lewis  Wallace 

Ben    Hur:    A     Tale    of    the 
Christ 

26.  John  Burroughs 
Sharp  Eyes 

27.  Louisa  M.  Alcott 
Little  Men 
Little  Women 

28.  James  Whitcomb  Riley 
Child  Rhymes 

29.  Hamlin  Garland 

A  Son  of  the  Middle  Border 

30.  Jack  London 

The  Call  of  the  Wild 

31.  Winston  Churchill 
The  Crisis 
Richard  Carvel 

32.  Eugene  Field 
Poems 

33.  Theodore  Roosevelt 
The  Winning  of  the  West 
Autobiography 

Game  Trails  of  Africa 
Letters  to  His  Children 

34.  Julia  Ward  Howe 

The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Re- 
public 

35.  Henry  van  Dyke 
The  Blue  Flower 
Poems 

36.  O.   Henry    (William   Sidney 

Porter) 


Options 
Rolling  Stones 

37.  William  Allen  White 
The  King  of  Boyville 

The    Martial    Adventures    of 
Henry  and  Me 

38.  F.  HoPKiNSON  Smith 
Colonel  Carter  of  Cartersville 

39.  Frank  R.  Stockton 

The  Griffin  and  the  Minor  Canon 
Rudder  Grange 

40.  Sarah  McLean  Greene 
Cape  Cod  Folks 

Vesty  of  the  Basin 

41.  Booth  Tarkington 

The  Gentleman  from  Indiana 

Penrod 

Seventeen 

42.  Mary  E.  Waller 

The  Wood  Carver  of  'Lympus 
/13.  John  Fox,  Jr. 

The  Little  Shepherd  of  Kingdom 
Come 

44.  Mary  Johnston 
Audrey 

45.  Edward  Eggleston 
The  Hoosier  Schoolboy 
The  Hoosier  Schoolmaster 

46.  Kate  Douglas  Wiggin 
Rebecca  of  Sunnybrook  Farm 

47.  Hamilton  Wright  Mabie 
Heroes    Every    Child    Should 

Know 
Norse  Stories 

48.  Joel  Chandler  Harris 
Uncle  Remus 

49.  Helen  Keller 

The  Story  of  My  Life 

50.  Owen  Wister 
The  Virginian 


PART  XII.  TELEPHONE  CONVERSATIONS 

France  has  not  so  many  telephones  as  Chicago.  Greece 
has  not  as  many  telephones  as  some  of  the  largest  American 
office  buildings.  In  this  country  there  is  one  telephone  to 
every  nine  persons,  and  two  thirds  of  the  telephoning  of  the 
world  is  over  the  twenty-four  million  miles  of  wire  in  the 
Bell  system.  Because,  therefore,  of  the  great  importance  of 
the  telephone  in  modern  business  and  social  life,  you  will 
wish  to  know  how  to  use  it  effectively.  In  what  three  ways 
can  you  deliver  most  quickly  a  message  to  some  one  at  a 
distance?    Which  method  insures  the  speediest  answer? 

Since  the  average  American  is  never  seen  to  greater  dis- 
advantage than  when  telephoning,  you  may  be  glad  to 
know  that  you  can  learn  how  to  use  the  telephone  without 
any  great  amount  of  trouble. 

YOUR    UNDERTAKING 
To  carry  on  a  series  of  telephone  conversations. 

Suggestions.  — 

1.  Think  over  what  you  wish  to  say  just  as  you  would 
if  you  were  to  write  a  letter.  Make  a  note  of  the  items 
of  special  importance.  Have  a  pad  and  pencil  ready  to  jot 
down  important  information  obtained. 

2.  Remove  the  receiver  from  the  hook  and  give  the 
number  to  the  operator  in  response  to  her,  "  Number, 
please?  " 

3.  Call  the  number  in  this  manner:   "Bryant  three, 

177 


lyS  Community  English 

four,  one,  six,  for  ^^ Bryant  3416"  ;  or  ''North  two,  seven, 
o,  four,  party  W,  for  "  North  2704 — W." 

4.  When  the  operator  repeats  the  number  you  should 
say,  "  Correct  "  or  "  No.''  If  she  has  made  a  mistake  she 
will  then  correct  it. 

5.  As  soon  as  the  connection  has  been  made,  say, 
"  Agnes  Brown  speaking."  Such  an  introduction  is  not 
only  a  matter  of  courtesy  but  it  is  also  necessary  in  order 
that  the  person  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire  may  know 
who  is  speaking.  Unsigned  letters  receive  no  attention, 
neither  should  telephone  conversations  which  begin  like 
this:   "  Hello,  guess  who  this  is." 

6.  If  you  are  either  giving  or  receiving  information,  be 
definite  in  your  answers  or  questions. 

7.  Listen  carefully  to  the  person  speaking  at  the  other 
end  of  the  wire.  Never  try  to  talk  to  some  one  at  your 
side  while  you  are  telephoning. 

8.  "  If  you  please,"  and  "  I  thank  you  "  do  not  take 
very  much  time  and  yet  they  are  important  in  telephone 
conversations. 

9.  If  your  telephone  conversation  is  in  the  nature  of  a 
social  call,  try  to  have  something  of  real  interest  to  say. 
Do  not  gossip  so  long  that  important  messages  may  be 
delayed. 

10.  Always  verify  an  important  telephoned  order  by 
repeating  the  message. 

11.  When  making  a  long  distance  call,  ask  the  operator 
for  "  Long  Distance  "  or  "  Toll  Operator,"  in  reply  to  her 
question,  "  Number,  please?  " 

12.  When  you  wish  to  telephone  a  telegram,  call  "  Wes- 
tern Union  "  or  "  Postal  Telegraph." 


Telephone  Conversations  179 

13.  In  case  of  fire,  call  "  Fire  Department,  Emergency." 

14.  In  case  of  burglars,  call  "  Police  Department, 
Emergency." 

15.  If  you  wish  to  call  a  certain  department  of  a  large 
firm  you  may  follow  this  routine : 

Operator " Number,  please?  " 

You "  Main  six,  four,  one,  o." 

Operator "  Main  six,  eight,  one,  o." 

You "  No,  six,  four,  one,  o." 

Operator "  Main,  six,  four,  one,  o." 

You "Correct." 

Pause  for  connection. 
Private  operator.  ..."  Lord  and  Taylor's." 

You "  Give  me  the  shoe  department,  please." 

Pause  for  connection. 
Clerk  in  shoe  department.  ..  .^^1^0x6.  and  Taylor's  Shoe   De- 
partment." 

You "  This  is  John  Jones "  (state 

your  message). 

Telephone  assignments.  —  Let  the  following  assign- 
ments suggest  to  you  a  series  of  telephone  conversations 
which  you  may  carry  on  over  a  real  telephone  or  which  you 
may  carry  on  over  an  imaginary  telephone  in  your  class- 
room. A  classmate  may  take  the  part  of  the  person  to 
whom  you  are  talking  by  wire.  Remember  always  to  be 
clear,  to  be  brief,  to  be  courteous,  and  to  be  distinct. 

I .   Carry  on  all  the  telephone  communication  necessary 

in  connection  with  the  arrangements  for  your  class  supper. 

a.  Telephone  the  Principal  of  your  school  and  ask 

his  permission   to    hold    the   supper.    Describe 

your  plans  in  detail. 


i8o  Community  English 

b.  Call  up  a  hotel  and  make  reservations  for  the 
supper.  State  the  time,  the  date,  and  the  num- 
ber expected  to  attend.  Ask  about  the  charges 
per  plate. 

c.  Telephone  the  florist  and  ask  that  three  dozen 
pink  roses  be  dehvered  at  the  hotel,  just  before 
the  supper. 

d.  Telephone  the  manager  of  the  street  railroad 
company  and  make  arrangements  for  a  special 
car  from  the  school  to  the  hotel. 

e.  Call  up  one  of  your  classmates  and  ask  him  to  act 
as  toastmaster  at  the  supper. 

2.    Carry  on  all  the  communication  necessary  in  connec- 
tion with  arrangements  for  an  interschool  debate. 

a.  Telephone  your  Principal  for  permission  to 
challenge  another  school  to  a  debate.  State  in 
detail  all  your  plans. 

b.  Imagine  that  the  challenge  is  sent  and  accepted. 
Telephone  the  Principal  of  the  rival  school  of 
important  reasons  for  changing  the  date  of  the 
contest. 

c.  Telephone  the  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  your 
city,  asking  him  to  act  as  chairman  of  the 
debate. 

d.  Telephone  a  man  prominent  in  the  life  of  your 
community,  asking  him  to  act  as  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  contest. 

e.  Telephone  the  ofhce  of  one  of  your  local  papers, 
asking  that  an  announcement  of  the  debate  be 
made  in  the  Wednesday  night  edition. 


Telephone  Conversations  i8i 

3.  Telephone  the  mother  of  your  chum,  that  he  has 
been  hurt  in  an  automobile  accident. 

4.  Telephone  a  ticket  agent  in  your  town,  asking  him 
to  make  reservations  for  you  on  the  "  Empire." 

5.  Telephone  your  plumber  of  a  leaking  hot  water 
pipe  in  your  house.  Explain  what  has  happened  and  ask 
for  immediate  help. 

6.  Call  up  your  music  teacher  and  cancel  your  appoint- 
ment for  a  lesson. 

7.  Telephone  the  "  Lost  and  Found  "  department  of 
the  Electric  railroad  and  make  inquiries  for  a  lost  umbrella. 

8.  Call  up  the  manager  of  a  large  department  store  and 
ask  him  for  an  advertisement  for  your  school  paper. 

9.  Call  up  the  manager  of  a  factory  in  your  locality  and 
make  arrangements  for  a  visit  of  inspection  by  your 
class. 

10.  Telephone  the  local  ticket  office  and  make  inquiries 
about  a  trip  to  Washington,  D.C. 

11.  Telephone  an  order  to  your  grocer.  Explain  that 
you  have  decided  to  open  a  charge  account  at  his  store  and 
give  him  several  references. 

12.  Telephone  a  friend,  accepting  an  informal  invitation 
to  dinner. 

13.  Telephone  to  an  old  friend  in  the  city,  telling  him  of 
your  Ufe  in  the  country  and  mentioning  several  of  its 
advantages. 

14.  At  Christmas  time  your  class  has  collected  a  number 
of  gifts  for  the  less  fortunate  ones  of  your  city.  Tele- 
phone the  Charities  Aid  Association  and  ask  for  the  ad- 
dresses of  some  famiUes  whom  your  gifts  might  help. 

15.  Telephone  the  postmaster  and  make  inquiries  about 


l82  Community  English 

a  Special  Delivery  letter  which  has  not  been  delivered. 
Tell  him  who  you  are  and  state  your  address. 

1 6.  Telephone  a  friend  about  a  visit  you  have  just 
made  to  the  home  of  some  well-known  American. 

17.  Your  father  has  promised  to  take  you  and  some  of 
your  friends  for  a  sail  on  the  river  next  Saturday  if  the 
weather  is  suitable.  Telephone  two  or  three  friends,  ask- 
ing them  to  join  you. 


PART  XIII.     THE   SHORT   SPEECH 

"  In  a  democracy  where  each  citizen  has  a  voice  and  a 
vote  in  the  government,  he  should  be  able  to  use  the 
privilege  of  free  speech  to  the  best  advantage." 

"  The  manner  in  which  one  speaks  his  mother  tongue  is 
looked  upon  as  showing  more  clearly  than  any  other  one 
thing  what  his  culture  is  and  what  his  associations  have 
been." 

What  are  your  reasons  for  believing  that  both  the  preced- 
ing quotations  are  true  ?  How  do  you  judge  a  stranger,  by 
his  clothes  or  his  speech  ?  Give  at  least  four  reasons  for  the 
necessity  of  forming  correct  speech  habits.  Show  that  to 
each  of  the  persons  mentioned  below,  correct  speech  has  a 
money  value : 

A  doctor,  a  teacher,  an  office  boy,  a  salesman,  a  sales- 
girl, a  minister,  a  business  man  or  woman,  a  nurse, 
a  reporter,  a  lawyer,  an  insurance  agent,  a  business 
manager. 
Mention,  if  you  can,  one  person  who  does  not  need  to 
speak  well.     The  next  time  you  listen  to  a  public  speaker, 
ask  yourself  these  questions:    Does  he  speak  distinctly? 
Are  his  sentences  monotonous  because  he  fails  to  use  em- 
phasis?   Does   he   make   his   subject   interesting   to   his 
audience?    What  suggestions  can  I  get  from  this  speaker 
which  will  help  me  to  improve  my  English?     Perhaps,  as 
yet,  you  have  never  been  called  upon  to  speak  in  public, 
but  the  time  is  surely  coming  when  you  will  be  glad  to 

183 


184  Community  English 

know  how  to  express  your  ideas  to  a  group  of  people.  In 
order  that  you  may  give  your  entire  attention  to  a  clear, 
forceful,  and  dignified  expression  of  your  thought  and  that 
you  may  not  be  puzzled  by  how  to  go  about  it,  this  Under- 
taking has  been  suggested. 

At  first,  the  form  of  the  short  speech  may  seem  strange 
to  you,  but  with  practice  you  will  find  that  the  form  has 
slipped  into  the  background  and  unconsciously  you  have 
become  right  in  your  manner  of  speaking  upon  formal 
occasions.  Do  you  not  think  that  you  would  enjoy  acting 
as  toastmaster  at  your  class  supper?  Perhaps,  you  would 
like  better  to  introduce  the  speaker  of  the  evening,  or  to 
present  to  the  school  a  beautiful  picture  —  the  gift  of  your 
class.  It  is  just  possible  that  you  may  have  to  thank  the 
class  for  a  farewell  gift  given  to  you.  Surely  you  wish  to 
know  what  to  do  under  any  or  all  of  these  circumstances. 


YOUR    UNDERTAKING 

To  make  a  speech  of  introduction. 

Suggestions.  —  Imagine  that  you  are  the  presiding 
officer  at  a  class  meeting.  Make  a  short  speech  introducing 
a  person  of  prominence  in  your  community  who  is  to 
address  your  class  upon  a  subject  connected  with  your 
English  work :  "  The  Value  of  Good  English  from  the 
Business  Man's  Point  of  View,"  or  "  Why  Correct  English 
is  of  Importance  to  a  Girl,"  or  "  Slang." 

1.  Speak  of  your  pleasure  at  having  the  opportunity  of 
introducing  such  a  distinguished  guest. 

2.  Mention  the  reason  for  the  prominence  of  your  guest. 


The  Short  Speech  185 

Tell  of  his  work,  or  of  his  life,  of  his  interests,  or  of  his  pubHc 
services. 

3.  State  the  subject  to  be  discussed  by  the  speaker. 

4.  Announce  the  speaker's  name  in  full. 

5.  Having  decided  upon  what  you  wish  to  say,  you  may 
make  an  outline  of  your  most  important  points  upon  a  small 
card  or  slip  of  paper. 

6.  Remember  to  stand  up  straight,  to  speak  clearly  and 
distinctly  enough  for  all  to  hear,  and  to  pronounce  all  words 
correctly. 

7.  Be  natural  and  earnest.  Do  not  strive  for  effect  and 
remember  that  your  audience  is  in  sympathy  with  you. 

8.  Read  carefully  the  model  speeches  of  introduction 
given  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  they  may  suggest  helpful 
ideas  to  you. 

SIMILAR    UNDERTAKINGS 

I.   Make  a  short  speech  of  presentation. 

Suggestions.  —  Imagine  that  your  class  wishes  to  make 
a  gift  of  a  beautiful  silk  flag  to  the  school.  You  may  sub- 
stitute for  the  flag  any  of  the  following :  a  curtain  for  the 
school  stage,  books  for  the  school  library,  a  picture  for 
your  classroom,  a  gift  to  your  teacher  at  Christmas  time, 
or  a  farewell  gift  to  any  classmate. 

1.  Address  the  chairman  of  the  meeting  and  your  class- 
mates. 

2.  Mention  the  class  in  whose  name  you  present  the  flag. 

3.  Speak  of  your  pleasure  at  having  this  opportunity. 

4.  State  the  name  of  the  school  which  is  to  receive  the 
flag. 


l86  Community  English 

5.  Speak  of  some  of  the  ideals  for  which  the  flag  stands. 

6.  Observe  the  suggestions  given  in  the  preceding 
Undertaking. 

7.  Read  carefully  the  model  speeches  of  presentation 
given  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

//.   Make  a  short  speech  of  acceptance. 

Suggestions.  —  Imagine  that  you  have  been  chosen  by 
your  school  to  receive  the  gift  of  the  silk  flag. 

1.  As  in  the  former  Undertaking,  address  the  chairman 
and  your  friends. 

2.  Mention  your  happiness  at  having  been  chosen  to 
receive  such  a  beautiful  gift  in  the  name  of  your  school. 

3.  Thank  the  class  which  gave  the  flag. 

4.  Tell  how  the  pupils  of  your  school  intend  to  live  up 
to  the  ideals  of  Americanism  for  which  the  flag  stands. 

///.    To  respond  to  a  toast. 

Suggestions.  —  Imagine  that  you  are  present  at  a  class 
supper  or  banquet  where  the  toastmaster  calls  upon  you 
to  make  a  few  remarks.  This  reply  to  a  sentiment  pro- 
posed by  the  toastmaster  is  called  the  response  to  a  toast. 
Sometimes,  in  connection  with  the  school  work  in  domestic 
science,  the  Enghsh  class  is  asked  to  attend  a  simple  dinner 
served  at  the  school. 

1.  Do  all  your  "  fixing  "  of  hair,  necktie,  etc.,  before  you 
begin. 

2.  Use  clear,  simple,  and  forceful  words.  Avoid  flowery 
language. 

3.  Be  original    Dare  to  think  your  own  thoughts. 


1 88  Community  English 

4.  If  you  wish,  you  may  use  stories  and  quotations  as 
illustrations. 

5.  If  you  would  do  credit  to  yourself 

Have  something  you  wish  to  say, 
Say  it  as  well  as  you  can, 
Stop. 

6.  At  the  beginning  of  your  speech,  address  the  toast- 
master  in  these  words :  "  Mr.  Toastmaster,  and  —  here  you 
may  add  the  words  —  "  friends/'  or  "  classmates." 

7.  Read  carefully  the  toasts  given  at  the  end  of  this 
chapter.  Note  the  form  of  the  toast  as  well  as  the  subject 
discussed  by  the  speaker. 

/  V.  Plan  a  short  talk  to  be  given  at  exercises  held  in  your 
school  on  any  of  the  following  days :  Washington's  Birthday j 
Memorial  Day,  Thanksgiving  Day,  or  Lincoln's  Birthday. 

V.  Give  a  talk  to  accompany  pictures  thrown  on  a  screen 
from  a  lantern. 

VI.  Make  a  brief  announcement  of  a  postponed  club  meet- 
^'w^>  of  CLn  athletic  contest,  or  of  a  debate. 

VII.  Imagine  that  you  are  the  captain  of  the  football  team. 
Make  a  short  speech  urging  more  loyal  support  of  the  team. 

VIII.  Imagine  that  you  have  been  asked  by  the  school  bird 
club  to  speak  at  the  next  meeting  upon  the  ^^  Methods  of 
Protecting  Birds^    Plan  the  speech. 

IX.  Imagine  that  you  are  the  employer  of  a  large  number 
of  men.  Give  a  talk  to  the  men  and  tell  them  about  your 
business  plans  for  the  coming  year. 

X.  Imagine  that  you  are  the  chairman  of  a  school  debate. 
Announce  the  subject,  mention  the  judges  by  name,  and  state 
the  names  of  the  speakers. 


The  Short  Speech  189 

XI.  Preach  a  short  funeral  sermon  for  Poor  English. 

XII.  Make  a  two  minute  speech  before  the  members  of 
another  class  in  favor  of  a  Thrift  Campaign. 

XIII.  Make  a  short  speech  to  the  members  of  the  board  of 
education  in  favor  of  a  new  school  playground. 

XI V.  Make  a  short  speech  urging  the  importance  of  work 
in  the  Junior  Red  Cross. 

X  V.  Give  a  short  talk  to  which  a  toastmaster  could  give  the 
title,  "  Critical  Moments  in  the  Life  of  Thomas  A.  Edison.'^ 
For  the  name  of  Mr.  Edison  you  may  substitute  one  of  the 
following : 

Colonel  George  Goethals  Florence  Nightingale 

Alice  Freeman  Palmer  Lewis  Carroll 

Jane  Addams  Hans  Andersen 

Lillian  Nordica  Frances  E.  Willard 

Paul  Lawrence  Dunbar  Henry  van  Dyke 

Helen  Gould  Shepard  Susan  B.  Anthony 

Martin  Luther  Robert  Burns 

Helen  Keller  Andrew  Carnegie 

David  Lloyd-George  Alexis  Carrel 

Luther  Burbank  Rosa  Bonheur 

XVI.  Imagine  that  you  have  been  chosen  by  your  class 
to  give  the  address  of  welcome  at  the  commencement  exercises. 
Give  the  speech. 

XVII.  The  Parents^  Association  of  the  school  joins  with 
your  class  in  the  celebration  of  Lincoln's  Birthday.  Make  a 
short  speech  in  which  you  bid  your  guests  welcome. 

XVIII.  Imagine  that  you  are  the  chairman  of  a  great 
school  mass  meeting.  In  a  brief  speech,  welcome  home  the 
members  of  your  victorious  football  team. 


190  Community  English 

XIX.  Imagine  that  you  have  been  chosen  by  your  class  to 
respond  to  the  address  of  welcome  given  by  the  president  of  the 
Alumni  Association.    Give  your  speech. 

Speeches  of  Introduction.  —  The  first  two  speeches  were 
made  by  Vice-President  Calvin  Coolidge  at  the  Lodge- 
Lowell  debate  held  in  Boston,  March  19,  191 9. 

1.  We  are  gathered  here  to-night  as  the  representatives  of  a 
great  people  to  hear  the  discussion  of  a  great  question  by  great 
men.  All  America  desires  that  the  peace  which  our  brave 
soldiers  have  won  with  the  sword  should  be  made  secure  by 
fact  and  by  parchment.  That  is  a  duty  that  we  owe  alike  to 
the  living  and  to  the  dead.  Fortunate  is  Massachusetts  that 
it  has  two  citizens  so  eminently  fitted  to  discuss  for  us  this 
question,  for  wherever  statesmen  gather,  wherever  men  love 
letters,  the  discussion  of  this  evening  will  be  read  and  pondered. 
Of  these  two  great  sons  of  Massachusetts  the  one  is  the  senior 
senator  of  the  Commonwealth,  the  other  a  president  of  a  uni- 
versity established  under  our  Constitution.  The  first  to  address 
you  is  a  senator  preeminent  in  Massachusetts,  honored  here  and 
famous  abroad  —  Henry  Cabot  Lodge. 

2.  The  next  to  address  you  is  the  President  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, an  educator  renowned  throughout  the  world,  a  profound 
student  of  government  and  the  science  of  statesmanship,  truly 
a  master  of  arts,  eminently  a  doctor  of  laws,  fitted  to  represent 
the  Massachusetts  domain  of  letters  —  Abbott  Lawrence 
Lowell. 

3.  Mr.  Chairman  and  Friends :  Although  the  speaker  of  the 
afternoon  is  a  figure  of  great  prominence  in  the  industrial  world, 
the  story  of  his  life  is  not  very  well  known.  He  was  but  six 
years  old  when  his  father  died.  At  considerable  sacrifice  his 
mother  kept  her  son  in  school  until  he  was  fourteen;  then  he 
took  a  "job"  as  an  office  boy  in  an  insurance  office.     At  the 


The  Short  Speech  191 

age  of  twenty  he  became  bookkeeper  in  a  savings  bank,  and  it 
was  while  thus  employed  that  he  worked  out  the  process  which 
later  led  to  his  invention  of  a  photographic  roll  film  —  the  film 
that  made  the  kodak  possible.  Gradually,  by  continued  in- 
ventions and  by  buying  up  other  formulas  and  patents,  his 
business  has  developed  until  he  now  controls  one  of  the  largest 
photographic  supply  houses  in  the  world. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure,  therefore,  to  introduce  to  you  the 
speaker  of  the  afternoon,  Mr.  George  Eastman  of  Rochester, 
New  York,  who  will  speak  to  you  upon  the  subject,  "The  Ro- 
mance of  the  Kodak."    Mr.  Eastman. 

Speeches  of  Presentation.  — 

1.  Mr.  Chairman  and  Classmates: 

Because  of  exceptional  bravery  in  his  rescue  of  a  boy  com- 
panion at  Owasco  Lake  last  summer,  Wayne  Joy  has  been 
judged  a  hero.  The  rescue  was  one  of  the  most  thrilling  in  the 
history  of  Central  New  York  and  most  of  you  already  know  its 
story.  You  will  remember  that  while  bathing  with  companions 
on  July  4,  Wayne,  at  that  time  only  ten  years  old,  was  attracted 
by  the  cries  of  David  Darby,  an  Auburn  lad  some  twelve  years 
of  age.  Wayne  jumped  from  the  pier  and,  although  of  much 
sUghter  build,  managed  to  support  Darby  until  assistance  came. 
Darby  was  practically  unconscious  when  Wayne  reached  him. 

Therefore,  in  behalf  of  the  Carnegie  Memorial  Society,  I 
am  very  happy  to-day  to  award  this  beautiful  gold  medal  and  a 
substantial  sum  of  money  to  one  of  my  own  classmates  — 
Wayne  R.  Joy  of  the  Groton  Grammar  School. 

2.  Mr.  President  and  Friends :  You  have  been  requested  to 
assemble  here  to  meet  J.  P.  Chandler  because  this  is  one  of  the 
most  important  events  in  his  life.  Fifty  years  ago  he  entered 
the  employ  of  this  company.  During  all  these  years  he  has 
given  to  the  firm  loyal,  valuable,  and  efficient  service,  sparing 


192  Community  English 

neither  time  nor  effort  for  its  success,  and  always  giving  the 
best  that  there  was  in  him.  But  more  than  all  this  he  has  en- 
deared himself  in  the  heart  and  affection  of  every  one  of  us. 

I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  frequently  when  you  were 
anxious  and  troubled,  he  has  straightened  things  out;  and  by 
his  wise  counsel,  sympathy,  and  understanding  has  sent  you 
away  happy  and  contented.  We  congratulate  him  heartily 
upon  his  reaching  this  fiftieth  anniversary  and  sincerely  hope 
that  his  present  good  health  will  continue  for  many  years. 

To  commemorate  the  event  and  as  a  symbol  of  our  high  regard, 
affection  and  esteem  for  him  the  firm  takes  great  pleasure  in 
presenting  this  loving  cup  on  which  is  inscribed  the  following : 

"  In  appreciation  of  fifty  years'  Loyal 
Faithful,  and  Efficient  Service." 

Speeches  of  Acceptance.  — 

1.  This  is  part  of  a  speech  delivered  at  Christiania, 
Norway,  May  5,  1910,  by  Colonel  Theodore  Roosevelt: 

It  is  with  peculiar  pleasure  that  I  stand  here  to-day  to  express 
the  deep  appreciation  I  feel  of  the  high  honor  conferred  upon 
me  by  the  presentation  of  the  Nobel  Peace  Prize.  The  gold 
medal,  which  formed  part  of  the  prize,  I  shall  always  keep,  and 
I  shall  hand  it  on  to  my  children  as  a  precious  heirloom. 

2.  When  President  Lowell  was  inaugurated  as  President 
of  Harvard  University  he  replied  in  these  words : 

It  is  with  a  deep  sense  of  responsibility  that  I  receive  at  your 
hands  these  insignia  of  the  office  to  which  the  governing  boards 
have  chosen  me.  You  have  charged  me  with  a  great  trust, 
second  in  importance  to  no  other,  for  the  education  of  American 
youth,  and  therefore  for  the  intellectual  and  moral  welfare  of 
our  country. 


The  Short  Speech  193 

I  pray  that  I  may  be  granted  the  wisdom,  the  strength,  and 
the  patience  which  are  needed  in  no  common  measure;  that 
Harvard  may  stand  in  the  future,  as  she  has  stood  under  the 
long  Hne  of  my  predecessors,  for  the  development  of  true  man- 
hood and  for  the  advancement  of  sound  learning,  and  that  her 
sons  may  go  forth  with  a  chivalrous  resolve  that  the  world  shall 
be  better  for  the  years  they  have  spent  within  these  walls. 

3.  Upon  William  Cullen  Bryant's  seventieth  birthday  a 
group  of  artists  gave  him  a  beautiful  portfolio.  He  ac- 
cepted it  with  these  words : 

Allow  me  through  you,  as  one  of  their  representatives,  to 
return  to  the  artists  of  the  ** Century"  my  best  acknowledg- 
ments for  the  superb  gift  they  have  made  me.  I  have  no  title 
to  it  but  their  generosity,  yet  I  rejoice  to  possess  it,  and  shall 
endeavor  to  preserve  it  as  long  as  I  live. 

Among  the  artists  of  the  country  are  some  of  my  oldest  and 
best  friends.  In  their  conversation  I  have  taken  great  delight, 
and  derived  from  it  much  instruction.  In  them  the  love  and 
the  study  of  nature  tend  to  preserve  the  native  simplicity  of 
character,  to  make  them  frank  and  ingenuous,  and  divert  their 
attention  from  selfish  interests.  I  shall  prize  this  gift,  therefore, 
not  only  as  a  memorial  of  the  genius  of  our  artists,  in  which 
respect  alone  it  possesses  a  high  value,  but  also  as  a  token  of 
the  goodwill  of  a  class  of  men  for  whom  I  cherish  a  particular 
regard  and  esteem. 

Speeches  of  Welcome.  — 

I .  The  following  greeting  is  part  of  an  address  of  welcome 
by  Senator  Henry  Cabot  Lodge  to  Southern  veterans 
Visiting  Boston : 

We  welcome  you  soldiers  of  Virginia  to  New  England.  We 
welcome  you  to  old  Massachusetts.    We  welcome  you  to  Boston 


194  Community  English 

and  to  Faneuil  Hall.  In  your  presence  here,  and  at  the  sound 
of  your  voices  beneath  this  historic  roof,  the  years  roll  back, 
and  we  see  the  figure  and  hear  again  the  ringing  tones  of  your 
great  orator,  Patrick  Henry,  declaring  to  the  first  Continental 
Congress,  "The  distinctions  between  Virginians,  Pennsylvanians, 
New  Yorkers,  and  New  Englanders  are  no  more.  I  am  not  a 
Virginian,  but  an  American." 

So  I  say  that  the  sentiment  manifested  by  your  presence  here, 
brethren  of  Virginia,  sitting  side  by  side  with  those  who  wore 
the  blue,  *  *  *  is  fraught  with  tidings  of  peace  on  earth,  and 
you  may  read  its  meaning  in  the  words  on  yonder  picture, 
''Liberty  and  union,  now  and  forever,  one  and  inseparable!" 

2.  When  Yale  University  was  two  hundred  years  old, 
President  Hadley  began  his  address  of  welcome  to  Yale's 
guests  in  this  way : 

Of  all  the  pleasures  and  the  duties  which  a  birthday  brings 
with  it,  the  most  welcome  duty  and  the  most  exalted  pleasure 
is  found  in  the  opportunity  which  it  affords  of  seeing,  united 
under  one  roof,  the  fellow-members  of  a  family  who  are  often 
far  separated.  On  this  two-hundredth  birthday  of  Yale  Uni- 
versity, it  is  our  chief  pride  to  have  with  us  the  representatives 
of  that  brotherhood  of  learning  which  knows  no  bounds  of  time 
or  place,  of  profession  or  creed. 

Speeches  of  Farewell.  — 

I.  When  Abraham  Lincoln  left  his  Illinois  home  to  go 
to  the  White  House,  he  said  good-by  to  his  friends  and 
neighbors  in  these  words : 

My  Friends :  — 

No  one  not  in  my  situation  can  appreciate  my  feeling  of 
sadness  at  this  parting.    To  this  place,  and  the  kindness  of  this 


The  Short  Speech  195 

people,  I  owe  everything.  Here  I  have  lived  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  and  have  passed  from  a  young  to  an  old  man.  Here 
my  children  have  been  born,  and  one  is  buried. 

I  now  leave,  not  knowing  when  or  whether  ever  I  may  return, 
with  a  task  before  me  greater  than  that  which  rested  upon 
Washington.  Without  the  assistance  of  that  Divine  Being 
who  ever  attended  him,  I  cannot  succeed.  With  that  assistance, 
I  cannot  fail. 

Trusting  in  Him  who  can  go  with  me,  and  remain  with  you, 
and  be  everywhere  for  good,  let  us  confidently  hope  that  all 
will  yet  be  well.  To  His  care  commending  you,  as  I  hope  in 
your  prayers  you  will  commend  me,  I  bid  you  an  affectionate 
farewell. 

2.  This  is  Robert  E.  Lee's  speech  of  farewell  to  the  army 
of  northern  Virginia,  delivered  at  Appomattox  Court 
House,  April  10,  1865  : 

After  four  years  of  arduous  service,  marked  by  unsurpassed 
courage  and  fortitude,  the  army  of  northern  Virginia  has  been 
compelled  to  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  resources. 
I  need  not  tell  the  survivors  of  so  many  hard-fought  battles, 
who  have  remained  steadfast  to  the  last,  that  I  have  consented 
to  this  result  from  no  distrust  of  them ;  but  feeling  that  valor 
and  devotion  could  accomplish  nothing  that  would  compensate 
for  the  loss  that  would  have  attended  the  continuation  of  the 
contest,  I  have  determined  to  avoid  the  useless  sacrifice  of  those 
whose  past  services  have  endeared  them  to  their  countrymen. 

By  the  terms  of  the  agreement,  officers  and  men  can  return  to 
their  homes,  and  remain  there  until  exchanged.  You  will  take 
with  you  the  satisfaction  that  proceeds  from  the  consciousness 
of  duty  faithfully  performed;  and  I  earnestly  pray  that  a 
merciful  God  will  extend  to  you  his  blessing  and  protection. 

With  an  unceasing  admiration  for  your  constancy  and  de- 


196  Community  English 

votion  to  your  country,  and  a  grateful  remembrance  of  your 
kind  and  generous  consideration  of  myself,  I  bid  you  an  affec- 
tionate farewell. 

After-dinner  Speeches  and  Toasts.  — 

1.  Here  is  an  introduction  to  a  toast  by  Joseph  H. 
Choate : 

I  came  here  to-night  with  some  notes  for  a  speech  in  my 
pocket,  but  I  have  been  sitting  next  to  General  Butler,  and  in 
the  course  of  the  evening,  they  have  mysteriously  disappeared. 
The  consequence  is,  gentlemen,  that  you  may  expect  a  very 
good  speech  from  him  and  a  very  poor  one  from  me.  When  I 
read  this  toast  which  you  have  just  etc.,  etc. 

2.  This  is  the  introduction  to  a  toast  by  Henry  E.  How- 
land: 

Mr.  Toastmaster  and  Friends,  — 

We  are  assembled  to  crown  with  honors  those  who,  on  land 
and  sea,  with  unparalleled  courage  and  devotion,  have  borne 
their  flag  to  victory  in  desperate  encounters.  Gentlemen  of 
the  bat,  the  oar,  the  racquet,  the  cinder  path,  and  the  leather 
sphere,  never  were  conquerors  more  welcome  guests,  in  palace 
or  in  hall,  at  the  tables  of  their  friends  than  you  are  here.  You 
come  with  your  laurels  fresh  from  the  fields  you  have  won,  to 
receive  the  praise  which  is  your  due  and  which  we  so  gladly 
bestow.  Your  self-denial,  devotion,  skill,  and  courage  have 
brought  honor  to  your  University,  and  for  it  we  honor  you. 

3.  The  following  words  are  from  a  speech  by  Senator 
George  Graham  Vest : 

The  one  absolutely  unselfish  friend  a  man  may  have  in  this 
selfish  world  is  the  dog.  A  man's  dog  stands  by  him  in  pros- 
perity and  in  poverty,  in  health  and  in  sickness.     He  will  sleep 


The  Short  Speech  197 

on  the  cold  ground,  where  the  wintry  winds  blow  and  snow 
drives  fiercely,  if  only  he  may  be  near  his  master's  side.  He  will 
kiss  the  hand  that  has  no  food  to  offer,  he  will  lick  the  wounds 
and  sores  that  come  in  encounters  with  the  roughness  of  the 
world.  He  guards  the  sleep  of  his  pauper  master  as  if  he  were 
a  prince.  When  all  other  friends  desert,  he  remains.  When 
riches  take  wings  and  reputation  falls  to  pieces,  he  is  as  constant 
in  his  love  as  the  sun  in  its  journey  through  the  heavens. 

If  fortune  drives  the  master  forth  an  outcast  into  the  world, 
friendless  and  homeless,  the  faithful  dog  asks  no  higher  privilege 
than  that  of  accompanying  him.  When  the  last  scene  of  all 
comes,  no  matter  if  all  other  friends  pursue  their  way,  there  by 
his  grave-side  will  the  noble  dog  be  found,  his  head  between 
his  paws,  his  eyes  sad  but  open  in  alert  watchfulness,  faithful 
and  true  even  unto  death.  ^ 

Speeches  for  Various  Occasions.  — 

I.  Here  is  Logan's  speech  to  Lord  Dunmore,  Governor  of 
Virginia : 

I  appeal  to  any  white  man  to  say  if  ever  he  entered  Logan's 
cabin  hungry,  and  he  gave  him  not  meat ;  if  ever  he  came  cold 
and  naked,  and  he  clothed  him  not.  During  the  course  of  the 
last  long  and  bloody  war  Logan  remained  idle  in  his  cabin,  an 
advocate  for  peace.  Such  was  my  love  for  the  whites  that  my 
countrymen  pointed  at  me  as  they  passed,  and  said:  ''Logan 
is  the  friend  of  the  white  men." 

I  had  even  thought  to  have  lived  with  you,  but  for  the  injuries 
of  one  man.  Colonel  Cresap,  the  last  spring,  in  cold  blood  and 
unprovoked,  murdered  all  the  relations  of  Logan,  not  sparing 
even  my  women  and  children.  There  runs  not  a  drop  of  my 
blood  in  the  veins  of  any  living  creature. 

This  called  on  me  for  revenge.  I  have  sought  it.  I  have 
killed  many.     For  my  country,  I  rejoice  at  the  beams  of  peace. 


igS  Community  English 

But  do  not  think  that  mine  is  the  joy  of  fear.  Logan  will  not 
turn  on  his  heel  to  save  his  life.  Who  is  there  to  mourn  for 
Logan  ?    Not  one ! 

2.  The  following  speech  is  the  famous  Gettysburg 
address  given  by  President  Lincoln  at  the  dedication  of  the 
National  Cemetery,  November  19,  1863 : 

Fourscore  and  seven  years  ago  our  fathers  brought  forth  on 
this  continent  a  new  nation,  conceived  in  liberty,  and  dedicated 
to  the  proposition  that  all  men  are  created  equal. 

Now  we  are  engaged  in  a  great  civil  war,  testing  whether 
that  nation,  or  any  nation  so  conceived  and  so  dedicated,  can 
long  endure.  We  are  met  on  a  great  battlefield  of  that  war. 
We  have  come  to  dedicate  a  portion  of  that  field  as  a  final  resting 
place  for  those  who  here  gave  their  lives  that  that  nation  might 
live.     It  is  altogether  fitting  and  proper  that  we  should  do  this. 

But,  in  a  larger  sense,  we  cannot  dedicate  —  we  cannot  con- 
secrate —  we  cannot  hallow  —  this  ground.  The  brave  men, 
living  and  dead,  who  struggled  here,  have  consecrated  it  far 
above  our  poor  power  to  add  or  detract.  The  world  will  little 
note  nor  long  remember  what  we  say  here,  but  it  can  never  for- 
get what  they  did  here.  It  is  for  us,  the  living,  rather,  to  be 
dedicated  here  to  the  unfinished  work  which  they  who  fought 
here  have  thus  far  so  nobly  advanced.  It  is  rather  for  us  to  be 
here  dedicated  to  the  great  task  remaining  before  us  —  that 
from  these  honored  dead  we  take  increased  devotion  to  that 
cause  for  which  they  gave  the  last  full  measure  of  devotion; 
that  we  here  highly  resolve  that  these  dead  shall  not  have  died 
in  vain ;  that  this  nation,  under  Gk)d,  shall  have  a  new  birth  of 
freedom ;  and  that  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people, 
for  the  people,  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth. 


PART   XIV.     THE   CLASS   MUSEUM 

Have  you  ever  visited  a  museum?  What  exhibit  did 
you  like  best?  Have  you  made  a  collection  of  butterflies 
or  stamps  or  coins  or  shells  or  anything  else  which  might 
make  an  interesting  exhibit  if  displayed  in  your  English 
classroom?  Would  you  enjoy  bringing  your  collection  to 
school  and  telling  your  classmates  about  it  ?  Do  you  think 
you  would  enjoy  listening  to  the  annual  lecture  by  some 
great  explorer  or  scientist  —  the  guest  of  your  class  ?  The 
following  extract  from  a  letter  of  a  Massachusetts  school 
boy  indicates  what  such  lectures  meant  to  him : 

Do  you  think  I  would  have  been  to  the  frozen  north  with 
Peary  and  Stefansson  or  to  the  hot  equator  with  Akeley  if  it 
had  not  been  for  our  class  museum  Undertaking?  I  beheve 
the  best  I  would  have  been  able  to  say  was  that  I  had  read  of 
them  in  the  silent  pages  of  a  book. 

YOUR    UNDERTAKING 

To  give  short  talks  illustrated  by  exhibits  in  your 
class  museum. 

Suggestions.  — 

I.  Discuss  with  your  teacher  and  classmates  the 
possibility  of  working  out  this  Undertaking.  Is  there 
room  for  a  display  of  exhibits?  Is  the  principal  of  your 
school  willing  for  you  to  have  such  an  exhibit?  Choose 
a  committee  from  your  class  to  lay  the  matter  before  him. 

199 


200  Community  English 

Are  there  shelves  or  cases  in  which  such  an  exhibit  might 
be  displayed? 

2.  If  your  teacher  and  principal  approve  of  your  working 
out  this  Undertaking,  you  may  write  a  letter  to  some  one 
interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  school,  asking  for  the  loan 
of  glass  cases  or  book  cases  without  glass,  to  hold  your 
specimens.     The  best  letter  written  will  be  sent. 

3.  If  you  wish,  you  may  offer  for  display  in  the  class  mu- 
seum any  collection  which  you  have  already  made.  The 
following  list  merely  suggests  other  exhibits  which  have 
been  displayed  in  class  museums : 

Shells 
.    Mounted  animals 

Birds 

Minerals 

Odd  specimens  of  flowers,  twigs,  and  shrubs 

Butterflies 

Moths 

Insects 

Turtles 

Curios  from  foreign  lands 

Stamp  collections 

Collections  of  coins 

Indian  relics  (blankets,  costumes,  weapons,  instru- 
ments, etc.) 

Collections  of  various  kinds  of  furs  or  pictures  of 
fur-bearing  animals 

Copies  of  old  newspapers,  magazines,  documents,  etc. 

Industrial  exhibits,  showing  the  development  of  such 
fabrics  as  cotton  from  the  raw  stage  to  the  finished 
product 


The  Class  Museum  20I 

Textiles 

Sugar 

Spices 

Baking  powder 

Leather 

Rubber 

Oil  products 

Pictures  of  American  industries 

4.  Large,  sheets  of  cardboard  fitted  with  elastic  bands 
often  serve  to  hold  small  bottles  containing  specimens. 

5.  Frequently,  the  manufacturers  of  products  are  willing 
to  give  classes  sample  exhibits  of  their  products.  Through 
the  courtesy  of  the  American  Sugar  Refining  Company,  one 
English  class  has  in  its  museum  an  exhibition  of  thirty- 
six  bottles  of  sugar  and  its  various  sirups.  Thirteen  of 
these  show  the 'steps  in  refining,  and  twenty- three  show 
different  kinds  of  sugar  in  use  by  various  trades. 

6.  In  this  Undertaking,  the  talk  which  accompanies  the 
display  of  exhibits  is  of  greatest  importance.  Be  prepared 
to  give  a  short  talk  upon  any  exhibit  which  interests  you. 
Plan  out  the  things  you  wish  to  say.  Remember  to  stand 
up  straight,  facing  the  class.  ,  Speak  slowly  and  distinctly, 
using  simple  words  and  complete  sentences.  If  your  class- 
mates do  not  understand  what  you  say,  they  have  no  chance 
to  go  back  over  your  words  to  puzzle  out  the  meaning. 

7.  Be  ready  to  criticize  the  talks  given  by  your  class- 
mates.    Always  mention  the  good  points  of  the  discussion 

first. 

a.  Was  the  talk  interesting? 

6.  Did  he  "  stick  to  the  point  " 

c.  Did  he  speak  distinctly? 


202  Community  English 

d.  Were  there  any  mistakes  in  pronunciation? 

e.  Were  any  important  details  omitted  ? 

/.  What  suggestions  can  you  give  him  to  help  him 
make  his  oral  Enghsh  more  effective? 

g.  What  hints  can  you  get  from  him  which  will  help 
you  to  improve  your  own  oral  English? 

8.  If  possible,  arrange  for  the  visit  of  a  noted  explorer  or 
scientist  who  shall  be  the  guest  of  your  class.  Questions 
concerning  his  transportation,  fees,  and  entertainment  may 
be  discussed  in  class,  for  all  arrangements  rest  with  you. 

9.  Listen  carefully  to  such  a  talk  or  lecture.  Pretend 
that  you  are  a  newspaper  reporter  and  write  up  the  talk 
for  your  class  paper  or  magazine.  The  best  report  will  be 
printed. 

10.  Discuss  these  questions : 

a.  How  would  the  bird  talks  given  in  class  help 
prepare  boys  for  the  nature  test  given  for  first 
class  Scouts? 

b.  How  would  Girl  Scouts  be  helped  in  winning 
merit  badges  by  the  talks  about  birds,  flowers,  and 
trees,  given  in  connection  with  this  Undertaking? 

11.  At  the  end  of  the  year  you  may  take  away  your  own 
specimens  if  you  wish,  or  you  may  give  them  to  the  school 
to  help  start  a  permanent  collection. 

12.  The  following  titles  were  chosen  as  the  subjects  for 
talks  by  the  boys  and  girls  of  one  English  class : 

What  It  Means  to  Work  Hke  a  Beaver 
How  Nature  Prepares  Trees  for  Winter  * 
Building  Materials  in  Everyday  Use 
Trees  That  Make  Winter  Beautiful 


The  Class  Museum  203 

The  Fishing  Industry  (Each  group  of  pupils  discussed 
a  different  part  of  the  subject) 

Opera  Singers  in  Birdland 

Plants  Used,  in  Medicine 

How  Grandfather  Traveled  ~  / 

May  Flowers 

My  Collection  of  Coins 

The  Story  of  the  Honey  Makers 

The    Larch    Tree  —  a    Favorite    with    Birds    and 
Children 

Indian  Weapons 

The  Sugar  Exhibit 
The  Sugar  Exhibit.  —  The  girl  who  gave  this  talk  intro- 
duced her  subject  in  this  way : 

Although  to-day  we  seem  to  consider  sugar  one  of  the  great 
necessities  of  Hfe,  all  of  us  may  not  be  aware  that  its  use  as  a 
common  article  of  food  is  only  about  three  hundred  years  old. 
The  cultivation  of  sugar  was  carried  on  before  that  in  India 
along  the  Ganges  River  and  the  natives  there  knew  how  to 
boil  the  cane  juice  and  obtain  sugar  from  it.  The  Egyptians, 
the  Chinese,  and  the  natives  of  the  East  Indies  also  cultivated 
the  cane  in  those  early  days.  The  Arabs  probably  carried  it 
into  Southern  Europe  at  the  time  of  the  Arab  invasion  of  that 
part  of  the  world. 

Spanish  explorers  of  the  early  fifteenth  century  brought  the 
cultivation  of  cane  sugar  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  West 
Indies,  with  the  result  that  one  of  these  islands  —  Cuba  —  has 
become  the  greatest  source  of  cane  sugar  in  the  world  for  the 
United  States. 

Sugar  comes  to  the  refineries  in  the  raw  state.  The  very 
interesting  exhibit  before  us  shows  the  process  this  raw  sugar 
passes  through  before  it  comes  to  our  tables. 


PART  XV.     CAMPAIGNS 

In  the  days  of  chivalry,  mail-clad  knights,  armed  with 
shield  and  spear,  rode  through  the  land  to  defend  the  right 
and  to  punish  the  wrong.  To-day  there  are  thousands  of 
American  boys  and  girls  who  are  as  truly  knights,  cam- 
paigners, and  crusaders.  Look  up  the  word  campaign  in 
the  dictionary.  Does  it  always  represent  political  or 
military  activities?  Is  a  campaign  a  crusade?  Ask  some 
one  to  tell  you,  or  find  out  for  yourself,  about  the  Children's 
Crusade  of  121 2.  Perhaps,  you  have  already  taken  part 
in  a  campaign  called  a  drive.  A  Junior  Red  Cross  drive,  a 
health  campaign,  a  week  devoted  to  morals  and  manners, 
and  a  campaign  for  better  English  are  but  a  few  of  the 
campaigns  which  have  been  conducted  by  boys  and 
girls  about  your  age  in  connection  with  their  English 
work. 

Such  an  Undertaking  as  this  calls  for  much  originality 
and  thought  and  common  sense  on  your  part,  but  it  is  sure 
to  prove  interesting.  Many  people  in  the  community  will 
wish  to  know  about  your  plans,  so  you  must  give  publicity 
to  the  campaign.  Letters  to  the  mayor,  editorials  in  your 
school  paper,  and  talks  before  your  classmates  or  groups 
of  people  in  your  neighborhood,  all  help  to  make  the 
campaign  successful. 

205 


2o6  Community  English 

YOUR    UNDERTAKING 

To  help  arrange  and  carry  on  a  public  health  cam- 
paign. 

Instructions.  — 

1 .  Discuss  with  your  teacher  and  classmates  the  advan- 
tages to  your  school  and  to  the  community  of  such  a 
campaign. 

2.  Write  upon  the  blackboard  a  list  of  the  plans  you 
hope  to  carry  out. 

3.  Choose  a  committee  to  lay  this  Undertaking  before 
the  principal  of  your  school,  and  let  another  committee  dis- 
cuss your  plans  with  teachers  in  your  building,  asking 
them  to  cooperate  with  you. 

4.  Write  to  a  person  of  prominence  in  your  community, 
asking  him  to  speak  to  your  class  upon  a  subject  of  impor- 
tance in  the  campaign.  Each  pupil  will  write  a  letter  and 
the  best  letter  will  be  sent.  Make  arrangements  for  one  of 
your  classmates  to  introduce  the  speaker. 

5.  Be  prepared  to  make  short  campaign  speeches  — 
not  over  two  minutes  —  before  other  classes  or  groups 
of  your  townspeople. 

6.  If  possible,  arrange  to  give  a  short  play  in  which  your 
plans  and  purposes  for  the  campaign  are  clearly  set  forth. 

7.  Make  streamers,  banners,  and  posters  to  help  you 
advertise  your  campaign.  The  posters  may  be  28  inches 
by  22  inches  in  size  and  each  should  bear  an  illustrated 
slogan.  Display  such  posters  as  effectively  as  possible 
upon  the  walls  of  your  classroom  or  of  the  halls.  Some- 
times a  reward  is  offered  for  the  best  poster. 


Campaigns  207 

8.  Write  to  the  editor  of  one  of  your  local  papers,  calling 
attention  to  your  campaign. 

9.  Write  jingles  and  parodies  about  the  campaign. 

10.  When  giving  your  talks  during  the  campaign,  pay 
special  attention  to  the  pronunciation  of  your  consonants 
in  such  words  as  hearing,  seeing,  doing,  and  the  like.  Re- 
member that  a  word  spoken  indistinctly  denotes  careless- 
ness and  that  a  word  mispronounced  denotes  ignorance. 

1 1 .  Try  to  make  the  expression  of  your  thought  effective 
by  the  use  of  simple  figures  of  speech. 

12.  Write  up  the  results  of  your  campaign  for  the  school 
paper.  Perhaps,  the  local  papers  will  be  glad  to  have  you 
act  as  reporter  for  them  during  the  campaign. 

13.  Study  carefully  these  special  suggestions : 

a.  Discuss  the  value  of  modern  knighthood.     Com- 
pare  dragons   of   old   with   disease   dragons    of 
to-day. 
h.  Choose  one  of  the  following  subjects  to  investigate 
and  report  upon  in  class : 

Why  school  children  should  be  tested  for  de- 
fects of  eye,  ear,  nose,  and  throat. 
Conditions  in  your  community  which  are  men- 
aces to  public  health. 
The   duties  of  public  health  officers  in  your 
^      community.     In  what  way  can  you  cooperate 
with  these  officers? 
How  pure  food  laws  have  benefited  the  com- 
munity.    What  danger  lies  in  the  use  of  pa- 
tent medicines? 
The  effect  of  open-air  schools  upon  the  health 
of  teachers  and  pupils.    How  does  the  air 


2o8  Community  English 

breathed  out  differ  from  that  breathed  in? 
From  the  standpoint  of  health,  why  is  a  sleep- 
ing porch  one  of  the  most  profitable  invest- 
ments that  can  be  made? 
State  laws  in  regard  to  common  drinking  cups 
and  roller  towels. 

c.  Arrange  a  debate  upon  one  of  the  following 
subjects : 

Vaccination  of  school  children  should  be  com- 
pulsory. 

The  fly  is  more  dangerous  to  pubHc  health  than 
is  the  mosquito. 

Medical  inspection  of  school  children  should  be 
controlled  by  the  school  board  and  not  by  the 
local  board  of  health. 

d.  Form  a  league  of  Modern  Health  Crusaders. 
Write  to  the  National  Tuberculosis  Association, 
370  Seventh  Avenue,  New  York  City,  for  definite 
information  as  to  how  such  a  league  may  be 
formed.  Free  circulars  will  be  sent  you  upon 
receipt  of  your  request. 

SIMILAR    UNDERTAKING 

I.    To  condiwt  a  campaign  for  the  protection  of  birds. 
Instructions.  — 

1 .  Follow  the  instructions  given  in  the  preceding  Under- 
taking on  how  to  conduct  a  campaign. 

2.  The  protection  of  birds  may  be  best  brought  about 
by  the  formation  of  a  Bird  Club.  Such  a  club,  composed 
of  all  the  pupils  of  the  class,  may  be  called  the  Audubon 


Campaigns  209 

Club.  Write  a  letter  to  the  National  Association  of  Audu- 
bon Societies,  1974  Broadway,  New  York  City,  asking  that 
details  and  suggestions  for  forming  such  a  club  be  forwarded 
to  you.     The  society  will  gladly  send  you  circulars. 

3.  Ask  your  school  librarian  to  devote  a  shelf  to  books 
about  your  feathered  friends. 

4.  Keep  a  record  of  the  work  your  club  accomplishes,  so 
that  your  final  report  in  class  may  be  accurate. 

5.  Be  prepared  to  give  a  short  speech  before  the  pupils 
of  another  class  upon  the  subject :  "  How  to  Protect  the 
Birds  Found  in  This  Vicinity." 

6.  Keep  a  record  or  bird  diary  in  which  you  note :  food 
habits  of  birds,  bird  enemies,  methods  for  attracting  birds, 
number  of  bird  houses,  feeding  places  and  fountains  con- 
structed because  of  your  campaign,  characteristics  of  the 
different  birds,  how  birds  benefit  your  community. 

7.  Read  pages  129-136  of  Baynes'  Wild  Bird  Guests  for 
valuable  suggestions  about  your  bird  conservation  cam- 
paign. 

//.    To  help  plan  and  carry  on  a  Thrift  campaign. 

Instructions.  — 

1 .  Ask  the  pupils  in  the  various  grades  of  your  school  to 
compete  with  you  in  a  stamp  sale  contest.  Each  Friday 
at  the  close  of  school,  give  your  teacher  a  record  of  the 
thrift  stamps  purchased  by  you  during  the  week.  The 
room  having  the  largest  average  number  of  thrift  stamps 
for  each  pupil  will  have  the  honor  of  hanging  the  Thrift 
banner  upon  its  walls  for  the  following  week. 

2.  Set  a  definite  sum  for  your  class  to  save  and  remember 


21  o  Community  English 

that  the  ideas  of  Thrift  week  should  last  throughout  the 
year. 

3 .  Write  to  a  person  prominent  in  your  community  asking 
him  to  speak  to  your  class  about  the  value  of  "  A  Penny 
Saved,"  or  "  Wise  and  Careful  Buying." 

4.  Write  to  another  friend  of  the  school  asking  him  to 
donate  a  Thrift  banner. 

5.  The  following  account  was  written  by  a  pupil  in  the 
eighth  grade : 

Thrift  week  resulted  in  the  sale  of  stamps  to  the  amount  of 
$187.51.  The  third  grade  holds  the  record  for  the  week,  $37.00. 
Twenty-two  different  pupils  took  part.  The  second  grade  holds 
the  second  place  with  $29.13.  The  seventh  grade  is  the  first 
to  report  100  per  cent  participation.  Other  classes  are  ap- 
proaching the  goal. 

6.  Here  is  part  of  a  letter  sent  out  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  urging  cultivation  of  habits  of  thrift  and  economy : 

To  the  School  Boys  and  School  Girls  of  America : 

In  addressing  the  twenty  million  or  more  school  boys  and 
girls  of  this  country,  I  am  addressing  the  citizenship  —  the 
business  and  professional  men  and  women,  the  producers  and 
consumers  and  the  home  makers  of  only  a  few  years  hence. 
The  responsibility  of  all  the  problems  of  our  country  will  ulti- 
mately fall  upon  you. 

******* 

The  habit  of  earning  and  saving  money  is  a  most  interesting 
and  happy  one.  I  am  sure  that  this  habit  has  become  so  fasci- 
nating to  you  that  you  will  continue  to  earn  and  to  save  through 
all  the  months  and  years  to  come  and  keep  investing  what  you 
save  in  government  securities. 


Campaigns  2ii 

It  is  my  personal  hope  that  the  lessons  of  thrift  that  are  being 
taught  in  your  school  may  help  you  to  develop  in  your  life 
permanent  habits  of  saving  and  thereby  lay  a  foundation  for 
your  personal  happiness  and  usefulness  and  ultimately  for  a 
bigger  and  better  America. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Carter  Glass 

///.    To  help  arrange  and  carry  on  a  Safety  First  campaign. 

Instructions.  — 

1.  The  aids  used  in  your  Safety  First  campaign  may  in- 
clude the  following : 

Safety  First  buttons,  posters  for  bulletin  boards,  talks 
by  prominent  persons  about  subjects  connected  with 
the  campaign,  short  speeches  by  each  member  of  the 
class,  first  aid  talks  and  demonstrations  by  Boy  Scouts 
or  Camp  Fire  Girls,  and  motion  pictures  which  show 
safety  first  devices. 

2.  Discuss  with  your  teacher  and  classmates  recent 
accidents  in  your  community,  their  causes,  and  the  ways 
to  prevent  them.  Find  out  how  many  automobile,  rail- 
road, and  electric  car  accidents  there  were  in  your  city 
last  year.  How  many  industrial  accidents  were  there? 
Why  is  the  matter  of  Safety  First  of  such  importance  ? 

3.  Arrange  a  class  debate  with  this  as  a  subject : 

The  White  Cross  (the  national  organization  for  the 
safety  of  industrial  workers)  is  a  greater  rescuer  from 
constant  peril  than  is  the  Red  Cross. 

4.  The  watchword  of  the  Red  Cross  is,  "  The  prevention 
of  accidents  and  the  prevention  of  infection."  How  does 
this  slogan  apply  to  you  ? 


212  Community  English 

5.  The  class  may  he  divided  into  groups  which  will  in- 
vestigate and  report  upon  your  state  laws  for  Safety  First 
in  regulating  railroads,  mines,  automobiles,  factories,  large 
corporations,  and  foods. 

6.  Write  for  suggestions  in  regard  to  safety  methods 
and  appliances  to  The  National  Council  of  Industrial 
Safety,  New  York  City,  or  to  The  National  First  Aid 
Association  of  America,  Arlington,  Massachusetts. 

I V.    To  help  carry  on  a  Clean  Up  campaign. 

Instructions.  — 

1.  Be  prepared  to  discuss  the  following  questions : 

a.  What  part  can  I  play  in  the  Clean  Up  campaign? 

b.  In  what  way  does  the  beauty  of  the  community 
as  a  whole  depend  upon  the  care  which  I  take 
not  to  litter  the  streets  and  parks  with  paper 
and  other  refuse? 

c.  Why  ought  I  not  to  deface  walls  and  fences? 

d.  Is  it  possible  for  my  class  to  cooperate  with  other 
community  agencies  during  Clean  Up  week? 

2.  Make  a  list  of  at  least  five  rules  for  your  campaign. 
Let  each  pupil  suggest  one  rule  and  give  his  reasons 

for  believing  that  rule  of  importance. 

The  few  rules  mentioned  below  may  suggest  many  other 
rules  to  you. 

Keep  the  yards  clean. 

Take  care  not  to  litter  the  streets,  parks,  vacant  lots, 
school  yards,  or  alleys  with  paper,  garbage,  or  other  refuse. 

Swat  the  fly 

Obey  anti-spitting  laws. 


Campaigns  213 

3.  Explain  in  class  one  thing  that  you  did  to  help  clean 
up.  Be  accurate.  Give  exact  names,  figures,  and  locations. 
During  your  talk  you  may  use  photographs  taken  before 
and  after  your  campaign. 

V.  To  condiLct  a  crusade  against  the  fly. 

VI.  To  condtict  a  campaign  for  better  school  play- 
grounds. 

VII.  To  conduct  a  campaign  for  a  new  school  building. 

VIII.  To  arrange  and  take  part  in  a  Morals  and  Manners 
campaign. 

IX.  To  arrange  and  conduct  a  drive  for  the  Junior  Red 
Cross. 

X.  To  plan  and  take  part  in  a  campaign  for  American- 
ization. 

XI.  To  arrange  and  carry  on  a  Victory  drive  for  Better 
English. 

Instructions.  — 

1.  Study  carefully  the  general  suggestions  for  conduct- 
ing a  campaign,  given  in  the  first  part  of  this  chapter. 

2.  Arrange  with  the  teachers  of  your  school  to  give  fifty 
per  cent  credit  to  subject  matter  and  fifty  per  cent  credit 
to  English,  during  the  week.  In  each  class  express  every 
answer  in  a  complete  sentence. 

3.  Write  jingles  and  parodies  and  make  posters  contain- 
ing illustrated  slogans.  The  following  slogans  were  writ- 
ten by  boys  and  girls : 

a.  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother  and  thy  mother 
tongue. 

b.  Good  speech  is  better  than  fine  clothes. 


214  Community  English 

c.  Be  ioo%  Americans.    Speak  English. 

d.  The  golden  key  to  success  —  Good  Enghsh. 

4.  Make  tags  bearing  the  words  Better  Speech  Week^ 
the  date,  and  the  name  of  your  school.  Tie  a  tag  upon 
each  pupil  who  makes  a  mistake  in  the  use  of  English. 
Collect  from  the  pupil  a  fine  of  one  cent  for  each  mistake. 
Turn  all  fines  over  to  the  class  treasurer  to  buy  a  prize  for 
the  pupil  who  makes  the  fewest  mistakes  during  the  week. 

5.  If  you  wish,  you  may  provide  a  Blunder  Box  instead. 
When  you  make  a  blunder  in  the  use  of  English  you  must 
write  out  your  mistake  with  its  correction  and  deposit  both 
in  the  box. 

6.  Sometimes  it  is  more  convenient  to  jot  down  in  a 
notebook  all  the  mistakes  in  EngHsh  heard  during  the  day. 
During  the  last  fifteen  minutes  of  the  afternoon  session 
you  will  be  given  a  chance  to  read  your  list  and  to  cor- 
rect the  mistakes.  Be  prepared  to  give  the  reasons  for 
your  corrections. 

7.  Arrange  for  a  Better  English  composition  contest. 

8.  Hold  a  funeral  service  for  Poor  EngHsh.  The  grave 
may  be  made  by  arranging  dictionaries  and  encyclopedias 
in  a  hollow  square. 

9.  Make  bad  speech  bugs.  These  bugs  or  imaginary 
animals  represent  the  common  mistakes  in  the  use  of  Eng- 
lish and  are  labeled  haint  and  hecuz  and  hadnH  ought  to, 
etc.  When  such  bugs  are  cut  from  black  and  red  or  yellow 
paper,  the  effect  is  starthng.  Displayed  upon  the  walls  of 
the  classroom,  the  bugs  will  remind  you  of  mistakes  to  be 
avoided. 

10.   Write  a  little  play  or  dialogue  to  aid  the  Better 
Speech  cause.     Perhaps  the  following  characters  will  assist 


Campaigns  215 

you :  Mother  Tongue,  Miss  Felling,  Mr.  English,  Miss  E. 
Ficiency,  Miss  Take,  and  Private  Slang. 

1 1 .  For  the  month  following  Better  Speech  week,  arrange 
to  have  a  reporter  in  each  class  who  will  make  a  note  of 
mistakes  in  English.  Each  pupil  will  act  as  reporter  for 
one  recitation  period.  Be  prepared  to  indicate  mistakes 
when  it  is  your  turn. 


PART   XVI.     VERSE-MAKING 

How  would  you  like  to  receive  a  letter  like  this  which  the 
great  Bishop  Phillips  Brooks  wrote  to  one  of  his  Uttle 
nieces  ? 

Little  Mistress  Josephine, 

Tell  me,  have  you  ever  seen 

Children  half  as  queer  as  these 

Babies  from  across  the  seas? 

See  their  funny  little  fists. 

See  the  rings  upon  their  wrists ; 

One  has  very  Httle  clothes, 

One  has  jewels  in  her  nose ; 

And  they  all  have  silver  bangles 

On  their  little  heathen  ankles. 

*  Hf  *  *  *  *  Hf 

Do  you  want  to  know  their  names? 
One  is  called  Jee  Fingee  Hames, 
One  Buddhanda  Arrich  Bas, 
One  Teehundee  Hanki  Sas. 

*  *  *  4f  *  *  * 

Aren't  you  glad  then,  little  Queen, 
That  your  name  is  Josephine  ? 
That  you  live  in  Springfield,  or 
Not  at  least  in  old  Jeypore  ? 

Perhaps,  you  have  seen  in  one  of  the  arithmetic  scrap- 
books  which  Abraham  Lincoln  kept  as  a  boy,  and  which  is 

216 


Verse-Making  217 

still  in  existence,  the  following  verse  which  he  wrote  under- 
neath one  of  his  tables  of  weights  and  measures : 

Abraham  Lincoln 
his  hand  and  pen 
he  will  be  good  but 
god  knows  When. 

Although  he  made  mistakes  in  writing  it  he  did  make  a 
rhyme.  How  would  you  like  to  write  a  rhymed  letter  or  a 
verse  of  invitation  or  a  new  class  song?  You  say  you 
"  cannot  write  poetry."  Of  course  not.  To  write  real 
poetry  is  out  of  the  reach  of  most  of  us,  but  surely  we  may 
aim  to  know  how  to  write  a  verse  occasionally. 

YOUR  UNDERTAKING 
To  make  an  illustrated  booklet  of  rhymes  for  a  sick  child. 

Suggestions.  — 

I.  Your  class  booklet  may  contain  an  illustrated  rhymed 
alphabet.  For  example,  you  might  use  "  At  the  Zoo" 
for  your  title,  then  the  rhymes  might  be  something  like 
this: 

A  is  Armadillo,  from  tail  tip  to  nose 
In  armor  that's  sure  to  bring  terror  to  foes. 
B  are  the  Beavers  who  hunger  appease 
By  nibbling  gently  the  bark  from  the  trees. 

Or  for  a  booklet  entitled  "  Our  Class  "  your  verses  might 
begin  like  this : 

A  is  for  Anna  —  a  timid  young  Miss 

Who  says  she  can  never  write  verses  like  this. 


2l8  Community  English 

B  is  for  Bob  —  a  mischievous  elf 

Who  vows  that  he  never  hid  mice  on  the  shelf. 

In  this  exercise,  each  pupil  may  represent  one  letter  of 
the  alphabet  and  write  a  verse  corresponding  to  his  letter, 
or  each  pupil  may  try  to  write  a  rhyme  for  each  letter  of 
the  alphabet.  As  soon  as  all  the  pages  of  verse  have  been 
read  in  class  and  illustrated  they  may  be  bound  into  a 
booklet  for  the  child  by  a  class  committee  chosen  for  the 
purpose. 

2.  Your  booklet  may  contain  an  illustrated  rhymed 
letter. 

3.  Your  booklet  may  contain  verses  upon  any  subject 
in  which  you  are  particularly  interested :  an  athletic  con- 
test, trees,  animals,  birds,  flowers,  daily  tasks,  or  winter 
pleasures. 

4.  While  preparing  the  illustrated  booklet,  discuss  with 
your  teacher  and  classmates  the  meaning  of  each  of  these : 
verse,  rhyme,  stanza,  and  foot.  Where  can  you  find  the 
meaning  and  illustration  of  each  word?  It  may  help  you 
to  note  that  the  word  rhythm  means  "  a  flowing,"  the  word 
verse  means  "  a  turning,"  and  the  word  meter  means  "  a 
measure." 

5.  Read  aloud  the  following  verses  to  see  if  you  can  tell 
why  the  sounds  flow  so  easily  from  your  lips : 

a.  The  Seal's  Lullaby 

Where  billow  meets  billow,  there  soft  be  thy  pillow ; 
Ah,  weary  wee  flippering,  curl  at  thy  ease ! 
The  storm  shall  not  wake  thee,  nor  shark  overtake  thee. 
Asleep  in  the  arms  of  the  slow-swinging  seas. 

R.  Kipling 


Verse-Making  219 

b.  The  Unseen  Playmate 

When  children  are  playing  alone  on  the  green, 
In  comes  the  playmate  that  never  was  seen. 
When  children  are  happy  and  lonely  and  good, 
The  Friend  of  the  Children  comes  out  of  the  wood. 

R.  L.  Stevenson 

c,  O  bright  flag,  O  brave  flag,  O  flag  to  lead  the  free ! 

The  hand  of  God  thy  colors  blent. 
And  heaven  to  earth  thy  glory  lent. 
To  shield  the  weak,  and  guide  the  strong 
To  make  an  end  of  human  wrong. 
And  draw  a  countless  human  host  to  follow  after  thee ! 

H.  Van  Dyke 

6.  If  you  "  beat  time  "  to  a  verse  of  poetry  and  mark 
each  accented  syllable  thus  (/)  you  will  find  that  you  have 
emphasized  your  words  like  this : 

He  pray/eth  best,/  who  lov/eth  best/ 

/  /  / 

All  things/  both  great/  and  small./ 

S.  T.  Coleridge 

•  f  /  / 

I  saw/  you  toss/  the  kites/  on  high/ 

And  blow/  the  birds/  about/  the  sky ;/ 

/  /  /  / 

And  all/  around/  I  hear/  you  pass,/ 
/  /  /  / 

Like  lad/ies'  skirts/  across/  the  grass./ 

R.  L.  Stevenson 

7.  Read  aloud  the  following  verses  and  mark  the  syllables 
you  emphasize : 

Go  down  to  Kew  in  lilac-time,  in  lilac-time,  in  lilac-time ; 
Go  down  to  Kew  in  lilac-time  (it  isn't  far  from  London !) 


220  Community  English 

And  you  shall  wander  hand  in  hand  with  love  in  summer^s 
wonderland ; 
Go  down  to  Kew  in  lilac-time  (it  isn't  far  from  London !) 

Alfred  Noyes 

Home  they  brought  her  warrior  dead ; 

She  nor  swooned  nor  uttered  cry. 
All  her  maidens,  watching,  said, 

"She  must  weep  or  she  will  die." 

Alfred,  Lord  Tennyson 

Tell  you  what  I  Uke  the  best  — 
'Long  about  knee-deep  in  June, 
'Bout  the  time  strawberries  melts 
On  the  vine,  —  some  afternoon 
Like  to  jes'  git  out  and  rest. 
Arid  not  work  at  nothin'  else ! 

James  Whitcomb  Riley 

Ye  who  believe  in  affection  that  hopes,  and  endures,  and  is 

patient. 
Ye  who  believe  in  the  beauty  and  strength  of  woman's  devotion, 
List  to  the  mournful  tradition  still  sung  by  the  pines  of  the 

forest ; 
List  to  a  Tale  of  Love  in  Acadie,  home  of  the  happy. 

H.  W.  Longfellow 

As  I  drew  in  my  head,  and  was. turning  around, 
Down  the  chimney  St.  Nicholas  came  with  a  bound. 
He  was  dressed  all  in  fur  from  his  head  to  his  foot, 
And  his  clothes  were  all  tarnished  with  ashes  and  soot. 

Clement  C.  Moore 
Then  the  little  Hiawatha 
Learned  of  every  bird  its  language. 
Learned  their  names  and  all  their  secrets, 
How  they  built  their  nests  in  summer, 


Verse-Making  221 

Where  they  hid  themselves  in  winter, 
Talked  with  them  whene'er  he  met  them, 
Called  them  "Hiawatha's  Chickens." 

Henry  W.  Longfellow 

For  the  angel  of  Death  spread  his  wings  on  the  blast. 

And  breathed  in  the  face  of  the  foe  as  he  passed. 

Byron 

8.   Are  any  of  the  preceding  stanzas  alike  in  the  way  they 

flow  along;  that  is,  are  they  alike  in  their  rhythm?    How 

many   different   kinds   of   verses   are   illustrated    above? 

Bring  to  class  a  poem  from  a  current  magazine  or  newspaper 

in  which  the  rhythm  is  like  any  one  of  these. 

SIMILAR  UNDERTAKINGS 

I.  To  compose  short,  simple  rhymes  for  one  of  the  following: 
birthday  greeting  cards,  Easter  cards,  Christmas  cards.  New 
Yearns  greetings,  rhymes  for  Valentine  Day,  or  verses  to  he 
sent  with  May-baskets. 

II.  To  compose  simple  verses  for  special  occasions:  any 
class  celebration,  a  school  festival.  Memorial  Day,  Washing- 
ton's Birthday,  Flag  Day,  Fourth  of  July,  or  Labor  Day. 

III.  To  write  a  rhymed  letter  to  a  friend. 

I V.  To  put  one  of  jEsop's  fables  into  verse. 

V.  To  write  verses  for  an  illustrated  calendar. 

VI.  To  write  verses  descriptive  of  some  athletic  contest. 

VII.  To  write  verses  of  invitation  to  the  pupils  of  another 
class.  Ask  them  to  attend  a  class  debate,  a  picnic,  a  straw 
ride. 

VIII.  To  make  an  illustrated  booklet  for  a  sick  classmate. 

IX.  To  write  verses  to  be  used  in  a  book  of  "  snapshots.'' 

X.  To  write  a  class  or  school  song. 


222  Community  English 

Instructions.  — 

1.  Use  the  music  of  some  popular  song  or  the  words  of 
one  of  your  favorite  short  poems  as  a  model. 

2.  Do  not  try  to  write  a  long  song.  Two  or  three  stanzas 
are  enough. 

3.  Your  verses  may  be  humorous  or  serious,  as  you  wish. 

4.  Remember  that  every  line  of  verse  begins  with  a 
capital  letter.  Write  neatly,  punctuate  correctly,  and  give 
your  song  a  title. 


PART  XVII.     DIARIES 

A  DIARY  is  not  unlike  a  little  letter  to  yourself,  jotted 
down  in  a  book  at  the  end  of  each  day.  For  a  diary  is  a 
record  of  daily  events.  What  you  do,  what  you  see,  what 
you  think,  what  you  feel,  —  any  or  all  of  these  things  may 
be  written  in  your  diary.  Some  people  write  in  their  diaries 
mostly  about  the  weather,  but  there  are  many  other  in- 
teresting subjects  to  write  about.  If  you  have  never  seen 
a  little  record  book  or  diary  you  will  be  helped  in  this 
Undertaking  by  asking  to  see  one  at  any  book  store.  Some 
pupils  about  your  own  age  have  greatly  enjoyed  pretending 
that  they  were  birds,  dogs,  horses,  and  flowers,  so  that  they 
might  keep  the  diary  of  something  other  than  themselves. 
For  example,  one  eighth  grade  girl  wrote  the  following 
entry  in  Mrs.  Robin's  diary : 

June  20,  192 1 

I  arose  early  this  morning  to  find  worms.  I  had  fairly  good 
luck  but  the  children  were  so  hungry  and  their  mouths  were 
open  so  wide  that  I  almost  despaired  of  filling  them.  I  found 
a  few  ripe  cherries  in  Farmer  Jones's  garden  but  some  curious, 
flapping  white  rags  startled  me  a  good  deal.  Mr.  Robin's 
voice  seems  to  be  improving.  His  song  this  evening  was  very 
sweet  and  clear  and  I  think  that  it  helped  lull  the  babies  to 
sleep.  Three  times  since  I  went  to  bed,  however,  I  have  had 
to  get  up  and  sing  to  them  myself,  ''Cheep,  cheep,  go  to 
sleep."     I  hope  that  to-morrow  will  be  a  restful  day. 

223 


224  Community  English 

YOUR    UNDERTAKING 
To  keep  a  record  in  a  diary. 
Instructions.  — 

1.  Imagine  that  you  are  a  pupil  in  some  foreign  coun- 
try. In  a  diary,  keep  a  record  of  the  five  most  interesting 
days  of  last  summer.  You  may  choose  any  five  days  — 
vacation  days,  school  days,  Sundays,  holidays,  or  work 
days. 

2.  Consult  your  geography,  the  encyclopedia,  or  any 
other  book  of  reference,  to  find  out  about  the  daily  life  of 
the  boy  or  girl  you  have  chosen  to  impersonate. 

3.  As  you  jot  down  the  record  of  each  day,  show  why  the 
day  was  a  little  different  from  any  other  day  in  your  life. 

4.  Date  the  entry.     Give  month,  day,  and  year. 

5.  Be  careful  to  abbreviate  and  punctuate  correctly. 
Do  not  omit  the  subjects  of  sentences.  Use  the  most  in- 
teresting words  you  can  think  of,  to  describe  the  events 
of  the  day.  Make  pencil  sketches,  or  cut  pictures  from 
old  magazines  or  books  to  illustrate  your  diary. 

6.  Use  any  of  the  suggestions  given  below  that  you  wish, 
in  writing  your  entries.     Describe 

a.  The  appearance  of  your  home  —  outside  or  inside 
h.  Your  clothes 

c.  Your  games 

d.  Your  playmates  or  playground 

e.  Your  work 

/.   Your  school  —  building  or  studies 
g.  The  streets  of  your  town 

h.  In  fact,  mention  any  item  of  information  which 
might  interest  an  American  boy  or  girl. 


Diaries  225 

7.  The  following  list  is  merely  suggestive  but  you  may 
choose  any  subject  mentioned  here : 

Imagine  yourself  to  be  a  boy  or  girl  from  Japan 

A  French  or  Spanish  boy  or  girl 

A  boy  from  any  country  in  South  America 

A  boy  from  South  Africa  or  a  girl  from  Northern  Africa 

A  girl  from  Korea 

A  Chinese  school  boy 

A  school  pupil  in  the  Panama  Canal  Zone 

A  boy  whose  home  is  in  the  Alps 

A  Russian  school  girl 

A  pupil  in  Norway  or  Sweden 

8.  You  may  imagine  that  your  home  is  in  any  of  the 
following  places : 

The  British  Isles  Porto  Rico 

Eskimo  Land  Holland 

AustraUa  Mexico 

Belgium  Turkey 

Italy  Cuba 

SIMILAR    UNDERTAKINGS 

I.    To  keep  a  travel  diary  for  one  week. 

Suggestions.  —  Imagine  that  you  are  taking  a  trip 
through  any  foreign  country.  Write  down  for  each  day 
an  interesting  account  of  your  experiences. 

//.    To  keep  a  diary  for  your  favorite  animal. 

Suggestions.  —  Imagine  that  you  are  a  bird.  Keep  a 
diary  for  one  week.  Mention  any  or  all  of  the  following 
topics  in  your  daily  entries : 


226  Community  English 

Nest  or  home 

Food 

Care  of  young 

Color 

Size 

Shape 

Enemies 

///.    To  keep  a  diary. 

Suggestions.  —  Imagine  that  for  one  week  you  are  your 
favorite  historical  character.  In  your  diary,  record  events 
of  greatest  interest  to  you.  Instead  of  the  words  historical 
character  in  the  above  suggestion  you  may  substitute  one 
of  the  following :  hero,  poet,  author,  artist. 


PART  XVIII.     THE   CLASS   PUBLICATION 

When  the  Pilgrims  came  to  America  to  establish  a  republic 
of  ideas  they  may  be  said  to  have  considered  the  printing 
press  a  far  more  formidable  weapon  than  their  old  bell- 
mouthed  fowling  pieces.  In  1638  the  first  press  was 
brought  over  and  set  up  at  Harvard  College.  Two  years 
later  the  Bay  Psalm  Book  was  published.  To-day  there 
are  mechanisms  of  many  kinds  for  the  rapid  printing  of  the 
smallest  label  or  the  largest  sheet  in  black  or  many  colors ; 
machines  for  folding,  sewing,  and  binding  books,  as  well 
as  the  arts  of  stereotype,  electrotype,  and  photo-engraving. 
The  total  yearly  circulation  of  periodicals  of  all  classes, 
including  daily  papers,  is  more  than  14,041,921,066  copies. 
The  idea  of  the  Pilgrims  has  been  gloriously  vindicated. 

Have  you  ever  seen  a  paper  or  magazine  published  by 
boys  and  girls?  What  type  of  paper  was  it?  What 
features  did  it  contain?  Why  would  you  enjoy  helping 
edit  such  a  school  paper?  Find  out  if  you  can,  whether  the 
papers  issued  by  other  schools  are  printed  upon  school 
printing  presses  or  are  published  in  some  other  way.  De- 
bate informally  one  of  the  following  questions :  The  English 
work  of  this  school  will  he  helped  by  a  school  printing  press, 
or,  The  best  work  in  written  composition  should  he  published 
in  a  school  magazine, 

327 


228  Community  English 

YOUR    UNDERTAKING 
To  help  publish  a  school  paper  or  magazine. 

Suggestions.  —  Several  methods  for  publishing  a  school 
paper  are  suggested  here.  Read  the  suggestions  carefully 
but  do  not  let  these  hints  limit  you  in  your  Undertaking. 

1.  Talk  over  with  your  teacher  and  classmates  the 
possibility  of  publishing  a  class  newspaper  or  magazine. 

2.  Select  a  name  for  your  paper. 

3.  Write  letters  to  other  schools,  asking  for  copies  of 
their  school  or  class  papers. 

4.  Vote  upon  one  of  the  following  ways  of  publishing 
your  paper : 

a.  Publish  it  once  a  month  by  having  it  read  aloud 
in  class.  Each  reporter  reads  his  own  contribu- 
tion. 

b.  Publish  it  by  having  the  copies  mimeographed. 

c.  Publish  it  as  a  magazine,  two  or  three  times  a 
year.  Perhaps  you  can  obtain  money  enough 
from  subscriptions  and  advertisements  to  have  a 
Christmas  and  a  Commencement  number  printed 
and  illustrated. 

5.  Choose  an  editor-in-chief  and  several  assistant 
editors.  This  board  of  editors  will  collect  the  material  and 
arrange  it. 

6.  Choose  a  business  manager.  If  the  paper  is  to  be 
printed,  he  will  have  charge  of  subscriptions  and  advertising. 

7.  With  the  two  or  three  other  pupils  in  your  group,  be 
ready  to  act  as  reporter  for  some  one  department. 


The  Class  Publication  229 

8.  Choose  which  of  these  departments  you  wish  to 
work  for.  After  discussion  by  the  teacher  and  the  class, 
any  department  Hsted  here  may  be  omitted : 

a.  School  News 

This  department  takes  care  of  personal  items, 

morning     exercises,     speakers,    lectures,    and 

parents'  meetings. 
6.  Stories 

c.  Poems 

d.  Editorials 

e.  Chppings 
/.   Reports 

This  department  deals  with  all  reports  of  trips,  ex- 
cursions, visits  to  industrial  plants,  offices,  etc. 
g.  Jokes 

For  this  department  no  extra  credit  is  given. 
Every  pupil  in  the  class  may  send  in  material 
if  he  wishes. 
h.  Sports  or  Athletics 
i.  Articles  contributed  by  the  Faculty 
j.   Alumni  News 

9.  Arrange  a  trip  of  inspection  to  some  printing  plant 
near  your  school.  Do  not  go  unless  arrangements  for  the 
trip  have  been  made  with  some  official  of  the  company. 
Be  sure  that  your  teacher  accompanies  you  on  the  trip. 

10.  After  all  the  material  for  a  given  number  of  the  paper 
has  been  handed  to  the  editor-in-chief,  he  will  return 
portions  of  it  to  you  and  your  classmates  for  correction. 
Upon  the  back  of  the  paper,  note  all  mistakes  in  spelling, 
grammar,  capitalization,  punctuation,  paragraphing. 


230  Community  English 

11.  Return  the  paper  to  the  editor  who  will  give  it  to 
your  teacher  for  final  revision. 

12.  Drawings  or  photographs,  intended  for  illustration, 
should  be  handed  in  on  separate  sheets  of  paper. 

Writing  news  items.  —  When  writing  news  items  you  may 
find  it  helpful  to  ask  yourself  the  following  questions  as 
you  write  the  story : 

What  happened? 
To  whom  did  it  happen? 
When  did  it  happen  ? 
Where  did  it  happen  ? 
Why  did  it  happen? 
How  did  it  happen? 

Perhaps,  you  will  find  it  less  difficult  to  remember  the 
proper  questions  if  you  memorize  this  verse  of  KipUng's. 

I  keep  six  honest  serving  men 

(They  taught  me  all  I  know) 

Their  names  are  What,  and  Why,  and  When, 

And  How,  and  Where,  and  Who. 

Preparation  of  manuscript.  —  Prepare  your  manuscript 
for  the  editor  in  this  way : 

1.  Use  unruled  white  paper. 

2.  Write  on  one  side  only  of  the  paper. 

3.  Leave  a  margin  at  the  left  of  the  page. 

4.  Indent  the  first  line  of  each  paragraph. 

5.  Spell  correctly. 

6.  Number  the  pages  in  consecutive  order. 

7.  Do  not  crowd  the  words  on  a  page. 

8.  Use  clear,  simple,  vivid  words. 


The  Class  Publication  231 

9.   Place  the  title  about  two  inches  from  the  top  and 
about  one  inch  above  the  first  Hne  of  your  story. 

10.  Typewrite  your  work,  if  you  can. 

11.  Black  ink  should  be  used  for  handwriting. 

12.  Hand  in  all  manuscript /a/.     Do  not  fold  or  roll  it. 
Correction  of  proof.  —  If  your  paper  is  to  be  printed,  the 

printer  will  return  to  you  proof  for  correction.  The  follow- 
ing hints  may  make  your  work  of  revision  more  workman- 
like in  appearance. 

1.  Make  corrections  in  ink. 

2.  Make  corrections  in  the  margin  —  never  between  the 
lines. 

3.  Use  these  proof  reader's  marks: 

^ = New  paragraph, 

A  =  Insert  (put  in  whatever  has  been  omitted) , 
3  =  Omit, 
5^.  =  Spelling, 
I         [__  =  Change  the  order  of  the  sentence,  example, 
Fred's  book  |  there  [is. 
cap.  =  Capital  letter, 
I.  c.  =  Lower  case, 
/^  =  Comma, 
^  =  Apostrophe, 
V    ^  =  Quotation  marks, 
No  1[  =  No  paragraph, 
O  =  Period, 
Qy.  =  ls  this  correct? 

Specimen  News  Stories.  —  Read  over  the  following  news 
stories  to  see  if  each  answers  the  questions :  What?  When? 
Where?  Why?  How? 


232 


Community  English 


3  KILLED,  2  HURT  BY 
ROCK  SLIDE  IN  CAVE 
OF  WINDS  AT  NIAGARA 


TOURISTS  ON 
BRIDGE  SWEPT 
AWAY  BY  SHALE 


Guide  Averts  Panic — Men 

from  Maid  of  Mist 

Recover  Bodies 


ANOTHER  PARTY 
WITNESSES  TRAGEDY 


NIAGARA  FALLS,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6— 
Three  persons  were  killed  and  two  injured 
this  afternoon  when  a  slide  of  shale  rock 
forced  out  the  fourth  bridge  leading  to  the 
old  Biddle  stairway  at  the  cave  of  the 
winds,  on  Goat  island. 

The  dead  are:  A.  Hartman  of  Brook- 
lyn, Louise  Hartman,  his  wife,  and  Clara 
M.  Faust  of  Pittsburgh. 

Two  Seriously  Injured 

T.  W.  Lee  of  Pittsburgh  and  Frank  R. 
Haehling  of  Detroit  are  at  a  local  hospital, 


where  they  are  suffering  from  serious 
injuries. 

The  dead  and  injured  were  members 
of  a  party  of  tourists  and  were  just  com- 
pleting the  circuit  of  the  four  bridges  in 
the  cave  when  the  slide  began.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hartman  were  in  the  middle  of  the 
bridge ;  Rufus  Robinson,  a  guide,  was 
leading  the  way  up  the  stairway,  followed 
closely  by  Haehling  and  his  wife  and  Lee. 
Miss  Faust  had  hold  of  one  of  Lee's  hands. 
Mrs.  Haehling  was  uninjured,  but  suffered 
from  shock. 

The  noise  of  the  falling  rock  was  drowned 
by  the  roar  of  the  cataract,  and  the  first 
intimation  that  Robinson  had  of  the  acci- 
dent was  when  Lee  cried  out  as  Miss  Faust 
was  torn  from  his  grasp  by  the  falling 
rock.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartman  were  al- 
most buried  by  the  rock  and  dirt. 

Another  group  of  tourists,  led  by  Edward 
Perry,  a  guide,  stood  terrified  as  they  saw 
the  slide  force  out  the  bridge.  For  a 
moment  panic  reigned,  but  Perry  com- 
manded the  tourists  to  retrace  their  steps 
over  the  way  they  had  come,  and  they  were 
brought  safely  around  the  circuit  to  fhe 
main  stairway  and  up  from  the  cave. 

The  bodies  of  the  dead  were  recovered 
by  men  from  the  steamer  Maid  of  the  Mist, 
who  made  their  way  in  a  row  boat  into 
the  back  of  the  falls.  The  bodies  were 
carried  to  the  landing  on  the  American  side. 


The  Class  Publication 


233 


CHELSEA  BOY,  2,  CLINGS  TO 
^OLD  GLORY'  ALTHOUGH  LOST 


Missing  Polish  Lad  Waves  Flag  to  Keep  Up 

His  Lagging  Courage  as  Wintry 

Blasts  Chill  Him 


Little  Steve  was  lost — ^hopelessly  lost 
in  Bellingham  square,  Chelsea.  Trolley 
cars  clanged  by,  automobiles  honked,  and 
grown-up  persons  hurried  along  with 
hardly  a  glance  at  the  boy  who  stood  alone 
near  the  curb. 

Steve  was  lost  but  he  didn't  seem  to 
care.  He  had  his  flag,  which  he  waved 
at  intervals  to  keep  up  his  lagging  cour- 
age. The  flag,  with  the  stripes  some- 
what soiled,  was  as  large  as  Steve,  but 
when  the  wind  swept  around  the  corner 
and  attempted  to  wrest  it  from  his  grasp, 
he  clung  to  it  valiantly. 

The  tot's  face  was  blue  with  cold  and 
he  had  no  cap.  to  cover  his  yellow  thatched 
head.  His  blue  suit  was  of  little  protec- 
tion against  the  chill  blasts.  Steve  was 
as  true  blue  as  his  blue  eyes  for  he  whim- 
pered not ;  he  just  stood  there  on  the 
corner  and  waved  his  flag. 

Takes  Waif  to  Station 

When  a  large  man  in  a  blue  uniform 
with  brass  buttons  came  along  and  stopped 
beside  him,  Steve  just  looked  at  him  in- 
quiringly, and  even  when  the  large  man 
asked  him  his  name  and  where  he  lived  he 
waved  the  flag. 

He  was  not  surprised  when  the  blue- 
coated  person  picked  him  up  in  his  arms 
and  carried  him  down  the  street.  Then 
passers-by  stopped  to  look,  for  the  tot's 
face  was  wreathed  with  smiles  and  the 
flag  waved  vigorously. 

When  Officer  Bradley  reached  the  po- 
lice  station   with   his   find   he   deposited 


him  in  a  nice,  big  chair  near  a  radiator 
and  then  purchased  a  large,  red  apple 
at  a  nearby  stand. 

"Keep  him  from  squalling,"  he  ex- 
plained, somewhat  sheepishly.  Steve 
munched  the  apple  with  evident  appro- 
bation and  made  friends  with  all  the 
policemen  who  came  in  from  their  beats. 

"Best  kid  we  ever  saw,"  was  the  opinion 
of  all.  At  one  time  Steve  started  to  fill 
up  with  tears,  but  he  choked  back  his  sobs 
and  took  another  bite  of  the  apple. 

Then  his  mother  appeared  at  the  sta- 
tion. Alas,  little  Steve,  the  brave,  showed 
that  he  was  just  a  very  small  boy,  indeed, 
and  that  he  had  been  just  dying  for 
mother's  arms  and  mother's  words.  He 
burst  into  tears,  and  truth  be  it,  howled 
miserably  when  his  mother  lifted  him  to 
her  bosom. 

Steve  "Some  Patriot" 

The  lad  is  Stephen  Krovalski.  He  is  2 
years  old  and  lives  at  140  Poplar  street. 
Ever  since  Armistice  day,  when  he  saw 
the  soldiers  parade,  he  has  insisted  on 
having  "old  glory"  with  him  all  the  time. 

Mrs.  Krovalski  was  busy  in  the  rear 
of  the  house  yesterday  and  Steve  was 
marching  up  and  down  on  the  front  side- 
walk. In  his  enthusiasm  he  marched  too 
far  from  home  and  lost  his  way. 

Steve  is  of  Polish  descent,  but  he  has 
proven  already  that  he  will  make  a  good 
American  citizen.  As  one  policeman  said, 
"He  is  sure  some  patriot." 


234  Community  English 

BOSTON  EVENING  RECORD,   THURSDAY,  JANUARY   15 


Patsy^s  Home  Again; 
Blind  Owner  Happy 
To  Regain  Her  ^Eyes  ^ 

LYNN. — "Patsy"  is  home  again,  and 
blind  Mrs.  Olive  Ingraham,  70,  and  help- 
less without  him,  is  happy  again. 

Patsy  is  just  a  wee  bit  ashamed  and 
repentant,  but  he's  forgiven  for  playing 
truant. 

Maybe  it  was  just  plain  wanderlust — 
maybe  the  scent  of  a  particularly  luscious 
bone  some  other  carefree  pup  was  taking 
home — ^but  the  fact  remained  that  Patsy 
forgot  he  was  charged  with  being  the 
"eyes"  of  his  blinded  owner.  So  he  broke 
his  leash  and  ran  away. 

When  Lynn  school  children  heard  of 
his  defection,  they  instituted  a  12,000 
boy-and-girl  search  for  Patsy.  Finally  the 
stray  was  found  tied  in  the  home  of  a 
tender-hearted  youngster  who  had  found 
him  shivering  in  the  streets. 

But  Patsy's  home  again  and  all's  well. 


THE  LIP-LAZY  AMERICAN 


AN  EDITORIAL 

The  average  American  is  lip-lazy.  Thousands  of  us  speak 
back  of  our  teeth,  or  through  our  noses,  or  behind  our  lips.  We 
do  not  open  our  mouths  when  we  speak ;  or  if  we  do  we  yell  or 
scream.  A  well-modulated  voice  is  the  exception;  clear 
enunciation  is  exceeding  rare. 

I  was  very  forcibly  impressed  with  this  fact  at  the  Americani- 
zation Conference  held  in  Washington  last  spring.  Here  was 
gathered  a  company  largely  made  up  of  pedagogues;  of  men 
and  women  high  in  positions  of  public  instruction  or  education, 
who,  in  their  places,  were  recognized  as  authorities  in  teaching ; 


The  Class  Publication  235 

whom  their  communities  had  raised  to  positions  where  what  they 
said  counted  for  much  in  the  direction  of  pubhc  training.  Yet 
one  could  only  in  the  exceptional  instance  understand  what 
was  said.  During  the  four  days  of  the  conference  I  heard  over 
one  hundred  persons  speak  from  the  platform  and  the  floor. 
Of  all  these  speakers  only  eight,  by  actual  count,  opened  their 
lips  and  clearly  enunciated  their  words.  In  a  number  of  in- 
stances the  speakers  could  not  be  understood  within  twenty  feet 
of  where  they  were  speaking.  The  majority  could  not  be  heard 
at  the  back  of  the  small  auditorium. 

Note  in  any  gathering  in  which  you  find  yourself  within  the 
next  few  days,  public  or  private,  and  watch  how  many  persons 
open  their  lips  and  speak  distinctly,  and  the  result  will  be  sur- 
prising and  humiliating. 

*'I  do  not  expect  ever  to  speak  in  pubhc.  Why  trouble?" 
is  a  favorite  argument  in  defense  of  lip-laziness.  But  it  is  not 
a  question  of  whether  one  is  destined  to  speak  in  public  or  not. 
How  often  do  we  find  ourselves  in  a  position  where  something 
that  we  know  or  have  to  tell  —  some  experience  —  is  of  interest 
to  a  home  company  or  to  a  small  group.  Those  of  us  who  teach 
in  classroom  or  in  Sunday  school,  or  who  speak  in  small  meet- 
ings of  club,  guild  or  what  not,  who  appear  in  plays  or  enter- 
tainments, or  whose  vocations  in  life  depend  on  the  use  of  the 
voice  in  explaining  or  selling  —  the  necessity  for  clear  speech 
is  vital  to  thousands.  In  business  matters  it  is  almost  indis- 
pensable to  man  or  woman.  No  matter  how  thoroughly  con- 
versant we  may  be  with  a  subject,  if  the  capacity  is  not  there 
to  express  that  knowledge  clearly,  if  the  proper  use  of  the  lips 
or  the  voice  is  foreign  to  us,  we  are  placed  at  a  decided  disad- 
vantage. A  clear  enunciation,  a  knowledge  of  the  emphasis 
on  the  right  words,  the  capacity  to  make  the  Hps  express  what 
*  the  mind  knows,  are  absolutely  vital  and  may  mean  the  differ- 
ence between  getting  our  message  ''over"  or  not. 


236  Community  English 

Our  children  should  be  taught,  not  alone  to  learn  the  English 
language,  but  also  how  to  speak  it.  There  is  no  earthly  reason 
why  the  American  should  go  on  with  his  present  slovenly  method 
of  speech — his  lip-laziness.  One  can  learn  to  speak  distinctly 
as  easily  as  one  drifts  into  speaking  unintelligibly. 

There  are  some  things  in  our  American  life  that  we  should  not 
carry  on,  and  one  of  them  is  our  universal  habit  of  lip-laziness. 

SIMILAR    UNDERTAKING 

I.    To  make  adequate  use  of  the  school  printing  press. 

Suggestions.  —  When  making  arrangements  for  the 
publication  of  a  school  paper,  you  discussed  the  benefits 
resulting  from  a  school  printing  press.  If  your  school 
already  has  such  a  press,  you  will  find  this  Undertaking 
very  interesting. 

I.  The  products  of  the  school  printing  press  include  the 
following : 

Spelling  lists  for  various  grades 

Bulletin^' 

Entertainment  literature  (including  programs,  notices, 

and  tickets) 
Outlines  for  class  use 
School  songs 
Posters 
Memory  gems 
Report  cards 
Best  work  in  English 
School  paper 
The  entire  responsibility  for  getting  out  the  paper  — * 
the    composition,  typing,  proof  reading,  printing, 
and  binding  —  rests  with  the  pupils  of  your  class. 


238  Community  English 

2.  Study  the  directions  for  correcting  proof  found  in  the 
preceding  Undertaking.  When  it  is  your  turn  to  set  up 
proof,  aim  to  make  as  few  mistakes  as  possible.  Pay 
especial  attention  to  speUing,  paragraphing,  punctuation, 
capitalization,  and  spacing. 

3.  Once  a  week  the  recitation  may  be  set  up  in  type. 
A  different  group  of  pupils  from  your  class  will  prepare  each 
exercise.  The  group  will  pull  proof  for  the  entire  class; 
each  pupil  is  given  one  proof  to  read  and  correct. 

4.  The  following  composition  subjects  will  prove  of 
unusual  interest  if  you  have  time  to  investigate  them : 

The  Invention  of  Printing  by  Gutenberg 
Cuneiform  Writing  of  the  Assyrians 
Hieroglyphic  Writing  of  the  Egyptians 
A  Study  of  Bookbinding 
The  Manufacture  of  Paper 

For  Paper  you  may  substitute  any  other  material 

used  in  the  school  print  shop. 
The  Value  of  Dlustration  in  Printing 

5.  In  all  your  work  with  the  printing  press  you  should 
remember  that  you  must  have  ideas  to  express  before  your 
work  can  be  worth  any  effort.  Nevertheless,  the  form  in 
which  you  express  your  ideas  is  very  important  if  you  are 
to  do  skillful  work.  Work  must  be  careful  and  accurate  or 
it  is  a  failure. 

6.  Letters  may  be  written  to  the  head  of  a  printing  shop 
in  your  city,  asking  him  to  give  a  talk  to  your  class  on 
"  Printing."  Each  member  of  the  class  will  write  a  letter 
and  the  best  letter  will  be  sent. 

7.  If  possible,  obtain  lantern  slides  showing  the  "  History 


The  Class  Publication  239 

of  Printing ''  and  "  The  Making  of  a  Magazine."  Such 
slides  are  frequently  supplied  to  schools  by  the  state  depart- 
ment of  education. 

8.  Requests  for  information  about  the  use  of  the  school 
printing  press  may  be  addressed  to  the  American  Type 
Founders  Company  (Education  Department),  300  Com- 
munipaw  Avenue,  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey. 


PART   XIX.     THE   STUDY  OF   A   LITERARY 
MASTERPIECE 

How  many  times  in  your  life  have  you  said,  "  I  wish  I 
had  something  good  to  read"?  By  good  you  probably 
meant  something  which  would  prove  interesting  to  you. 
So  in  order  that  you  may  be  helped  in  your  selection  of 
"  something  good  to  read  "  this  Undertaking  has  been 
suggested.  Several  of  the  literary  masterpieces  mentioned 
have  been  analyzed  in  some  detail  but  many  others  have 
been  merely  named.  Probably,  you  will  not  care  to  read 
even  one  half  the  books  and  poems  suggested,  but  if  the 
list  given  here  is  posted  both  in  the  school  and  in  the  public 
Hbrary,  you  will  enjoy  choosing  some  of  the  stories  to  read 
and  talk  over  at  home  and  at  school.  Stories  of  adventure 
and  romance  and  tales  of  heroism  and  daring,  and  travel 
and  exploration  await  you.    Which  will  you  choose  first? 

YOUR    UNDERTAKING 

To  study  one  or  more  of  the  following  literary  master- 
pieces: Evangeline,  Rip  Van  Winkle,  The  Courtship  of  Miles 
Standishy  or  The  Lady  of  the  Lake, 

Instructions.  —  Instructions  will  be  given  here  which 
will  apply  to  the  study  of  any  literary  masterpiece.  After 
these  general  instructions  you  will  find  special  suggestions 
for  the  study  of  each  particular  masterpiece  suggested. 

240 


The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece     241 

1.  Read  the  story  through  rapidly.  Your  teacher  will 
set  the  time  limit  in  which  you  are  to  complete  your  reading. 

2.  As  soon  as  you  have  finished  your  reading,  discuss  the 
story  in  class.  State  three  reasons  why  you  did  or  did  not 
enjoy  it. 

3.  Arrange,  if  possible,  to  have  a  motion  picture  of  the 
story  shown  at  school  or  in  a  local  theater.  Excellent  films 
of  many  of  these  masterpieces  have  been  made  and  man- 
agers are  usually  glad  to  present  them  if  requested  to 
do  so  by  schools.  Accompanied  by  their  teachers,  classes 
often  attend  such  performances  in  a  body. 

4.  Dramatize  in  class  the  most  important  scenes  in  the 
story.  Do  not  attempt  to  memorize  the  lines  but  with  the 
book  in  one  hand,  try  to  bring  out  the  author's  meaning  by 
means  of  facial  expression,  voice,  and  gesture. 

5.  Make  an  outline  of  the  story  for  your  notebook 
following  this  general  order : 

a.  Name  of  story 

b.  Author's  name 

His  nationaHty 

Time  of  his  birth  and  death 

c.  Setting  of  the  story 

When  and  where  the  action  takes  place 

d.  Important  characters 

e.  Source  of  the  story 

/.   Most  important  scenes  in  the  story 
g.  Main  idea  of  the  story 

Study  of  Evangeline.  —  As  you  read  this  beautiful  story 
of  love,  try  to  find  out :  Who  was  arrested?  Was  any  one 
sent  to  jail  or  was  a  more  terrible  punishment  imposed? 


242  Community  English 

Why  were  all  the  houses  burned  ?    What  killed  Evangeline's 
father?     How  did  the  long  search  end? 

1.  Follow  the  general  directions  for  the  study  of  a 
literary  masterpiece. 

2.  Make  a  Hst  of  the  new  words  —  not  proper  nouns  — 
which  the  study  of  this  poem  has  added  to  your  vocabulary. 
Record  this  Ust  in  your  notebook  and  try  to  use  at  least 
two  of  these  words  every  day  for  a  week. 

3.  Select  four  figures  of  speech  which  you  think  add 
to  the  beauty  of  the  poem. 

4.  What  is  the  meaning  of  each  of  the  following  words? 
Look  them  up  if  you  do  not  already  know. 


primeval 

missal 

Druids 

Dryads 

dower 

Normandy 

angelus 

Sunshine  of  Saint  Eulalie 

wains 

Scorpion 

draughtboard 

Titan-like 

5.   Describe  one  of  the  following : 

a.  The  home  of  Benedict  Bellefontaine,  stating  some 
reasons  for  his  happiness  and  showing  how  his 
happiness  was  destroyed. 

b.  The  village  of  Grand-Pre,  giving  an  account  of 
the  life  and  customs  of  its  inhabitants. 

c.  The  Feast  of  Betrothal. 

d.  Evening  on  the  Beach. 

e.  The  Burial  of  Benedict. 

/.   The  Prairie  Home  of  Basil  in  Louisiana. 
g.   The  Ozark  Foothills. 


The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece     243 

6.  Locate  on  the  map : 

Nova  Scotia  Atchafalaya  River 

Gaspereau  River  Adayes 

Gulf  of  Minas  Wachita  River 

Grand-Pre  Natchitoches 

7.  Memorize  one  of  the  following : 

a.  Father  Felician's  speech  in  the  church,  lines  466- 
482,  Part  I. 

b,  Evangeline    on    the    prairie,    lines    102  7-1059, 
Part  11. 

8.  Write  all  the  correspondence  necessary  in  connection 
with  a  trip  to  the  home  of  Evangeline.  See  special  instruc- 
tions in  the  beginning  of  this  book,  Part  I. 

9.  Discuss  the  following  questions : 

If  you  had  been  in  Evangeline's  place  what  would 

you  have  done? 
What  was  the  meaning  of  the  robber-bird  story? 
What  led  to  the  driving  out  of  the  Acadians? 
Is  this  poem  historically  true  ? 
What  is  the  key-note  or  theme  of  the  poem  ?     It  is 

stated  in  the  prologue.     Try  to  find  it. 
Why  do  you  think  Longfellow  liked  Evangeline  best 

of  all  his  poems? 
On  what  two  occasions  did  Michael  the  fiddler  play 

for  the  pleasure  of  the  Acadians?     Describe  one 

of  these  occasions. 
What  was  the  effect  upon  Evangeline  of  the  stories 

told  her  by  the  Shawnee  woman? 
Why  did  Evangeline  remain  so  long  at  the  mission? 
What  lesson  did  her  Hf e  of  sorrow  and  trial  teach  her  ? 


244  Community  English 

Henry  W.  Longfellow  has  been  the  most  popular  of 
all  our  American  poets.  Can  you  give  any 
reasons  for  this? 

lo.   Imagine  yourself  to  be  one  of  the  following : 

a.  Father  Leblanc 

Tell  the  story  of  the  necklace  and  its  recovery. 

b.  The  Commander  of  the  English  Soldiers 
Address  the  Acadians,  declaring  them  prisoners. 

c.  Gabriel 

Tell  the  Black  Robe  chief  at  the  Mission  of  your 
separation  from  Evangeline  and  of  your  search 
for  her. 

d.  Evangeline 

In  after  years  tell  of  your  happy  childhood  in 
Acadie. 

e.  An  Attendant  Nurse 

Tell  of  EvangeHne's  work  among  the  sick  of 
Philadelphia  and  of  her  meeting  with  Gabriel. 

Study  of  Rip  Van  Winkle.  — 

1 .  Read  the  story  through  rapidly. 

2.  Follow  the  general   directions   for   the   study  of  a 
masterpiece. 

3.  Pick  out  from  this  story  fifteen  vividly  descriptive 
words. 

4.  What  is  the  meaning  of  each  of  the  following  allusions  ? 
Diedrick  Knickerbocker  Stony  Point 

Woden  Anthony's  Nose 

Waterloo  Medal  Hendrick  Hudson 

Queen  Anne's  Farthing  Frederick  der  Rothbart 

Peter  Stuyvesant  Babylonish  jargon 


The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece     245 

5.  Answer  the  following  questions : 

In  what  way  did  the  houses  in  Grand-Pre  differ  from 
the  Dutch  houses  in  this  story? 

Why  was  Rip  a  favorite  with  the  women  of  the  neigh- 
borhood? 

Why  did  children  like  him? 

What  is  the  significance  of  the  fact  that  dogs  never 
barked  at  him? 

What  were  Rip's  favorite  pastimes? 

What  was  Rip's  chief  characteristic? 

How  were  the  "odd-looking  personages  playing  at 
ninepins  "  dressed? 

What  was  the  significance  of  the  changed  sign  at  the 
Inn? 

What  was  Rip's  attitude  toward  his  new  ruler, 
Washington  ? 

Why  was  Irving  one  of  the  most  important  of  Ameri- 
can writers?  What  name  is  frequently  given  to 
him? 

6.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  one  of  the  following : 

a.  Rip  Van  Winkle 

Tell  why  it  was  useless  to  work  your  farm. 

Describe  your  view  from  the  Knoll  in  the  Kaat- 
skills. 

Describe  your  feeling  when  you  awakened  from 
your  long  sleep. 

Give  an  account  of  your  reception  as  you  ap- 
proached the  village. 

b.  Wolf 

State  your  opinion  of  Dame  Van  Winkle. 


246  Community  English 

c.  Nicholas  Vedder 

Describe  the  events  of  any  afternoon  when  Dame 
Van  Winkle  appeared. 

d.  Dame  Van  Winkle 

Give  an  account  of  your  trials  with  your  shiftless 
husband. 

e.  A  Tavern  Politician 

Describe  the  sensation  caused  by  the  appearance 
of  Rip  followed  by  an  "  army  of  women  and 
children." 
/.   Judith  Gardenier 

Give  an  account  of  the  reunion  with  your  father 
and  of  his  return  to  your  home. 

7.  Imagine  that  you  have  been  asleep  for  twenty  years 
and  have  just  awakened.  Describe  several  of  the  great 
changes  that  have  occurred  in  the  United  States  in  the  past 
twenty  years. 

Study  of  The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish.  — 

1.  Read  the  story  through  rapidly. 

2.  Follow  the  general  instructions  given  for  the  study  of 
a  literary  masterpiece. 

3.  Dramatize  several  of  the  more  important  scenes. 
Do  not  attempt  to  memorize  the  lines. 

4 .  Answer  the  following  questions : 

In  what  way  does  The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish 
give  a  good  picture  of  conditions  in  the  Plymouth 
Colony? 

Why  are  the  references  to  the  Bible  of  special  impor- 
tance? 

Is  this  story  true  or  fictitious? 


The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece     247 

What  is  the  difference  between  rhyme  and  rhythm? 

Give  illustrations  from  this  poem. 
When  did  "  friendship  prevail  over  love  "? 
What  was  the  story  of  "  Bertha,  the  spinner  "? 

5.  Contrast  the  conclusion  of  this  story  with  the  con- 
clusion of  Evangeline.  Contrast  John  Alden  and  Miles 
Standish  in  regard  to  personal  appearance.  Contrast  or 
compare  Priscilla  and  Evangeline.  Contrast  life  in  Grand- 
Pre  with  life  in  the  Plymouth  Colony. 

6.  Describe  one  of  the  following: 

a.  The  letter-writing  scene  between  Miles  Standish 
and  John  Alden,  Part  I. 

b.  The  scene  in  which  John  gives  Priscilla's  message 
to  Miles  Standish. 

c.  The  interview  between  John  and  Priscilla  imme- 
diately after  the  departure  of  the  Mayflower. 

d.  The  house  built  by  John  Alden. 

The  descendants  of  John  and  Priscilla  still  live  in 
the  old  homestead  built  on  the  site  of  this  first 
house. 

e.  Give  an  account  of  the  scene  at  Priscilla's  house 
when  word  is  brought  of  Miles  Standish's  death. 

/.   Describe  the  effect  produced  by  Standish's  return. 

7.  Imagine  yourself  to  be  one  of  the  following : 

a.  Priscilla.  Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  giving  an 
account  of  John's  wooing  for  Miles  Standish. 

h.  John  Alden.  Give  a  report  to  Miles  Standish  of 
your  interview  with  Priscilla. 

c.  Miles  Standish.  Describe  the  meeting  of  the 
council  to  decide  on  peace  or  war. 


248  Community  English 

•  d.  Hobomok.     Give  an  account  of  the  meeting  of 

Miles  Standish  with  Wattawamat  and  Pecksuot. 
e.  The  Captain  of  the  Mayflower.     Give  an  account 
of  the  events  just  prior  to  the  saihng  of  your  boat. 

8.  Explain  the  meaning  of  the  italicized  words  in  the 
following : 

a.  This  is  the  sword  of  Damascus  I  fought  with  in 

Flanders. 

b.  Truly  the  maxim  is  good,  and  I  do  not  mean  to 

gainsay  it. 

c.  As  in  a  floundering  ship,  with  every  roll  of  the 

vessel, 
Washes  the  bitter  sea. 

d.  Gayly,  with  joyous  laugh,  Priscilla  mounted  her 

palfrey. 
"  Nothing  is  wanting  now,"  he  said  with  a  smile, 
"  but  the  distaf:' 

e.  Like  a  picture  it  seemed  of  the  primitive,  pastoral 

ages. 
/.   Straightway    the    captain   paused,    and   without 

further  question  or  parley. 
Took  from  the  nail  on  the  wall  his  sword  with  its 

scabbard  of  iron. 
g,  I  have  fought  ten  battles  and  sacked  and  demolished 

a  city. 
h.  Meanwhile  the  choleric  captain  strode  wrathful 

away  to  the  council. 

9.  Explain  the  circumstances  under  which  thejollowing 
was  uttered : 


The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece     249 

Let  not  him  that  putteth  his  hand  to  the  plough  look  backwards ; 
Though  the  ploughshare  cut  through  the  flowers  of  life  to  its 

fountains, 
Though  it  pass  o'er  the  graves  of  the  dead  and  the  hearths  of 

the  living, 
It  is  the  will  of  the  Lord ;  and  his  mercy  endureth  forever ! 

Study  of  The  Lady  of  the  Lake.  — 

1 .  This  is  a  charming  story  of  a  king  in  disguise  and  of 
his  acquaintance  with  Ellen,  daughter  of  the  banished 
Douglas.  Read  each  canto  through  for  its  story  and  dis- 
cuss the  events  of  the  canto  in  class.  Re-read  the  impor- 
tant sections  of  each  canto  and  study  in  detail. 

2.  Arrange  for  some  person  in  your  community  to  give 
an  illustrated  talk  to  your  class  about  the  Trosachs.  The 
Trosachs  is  the  general  term  for  the  country  about  Loch 
Katrine.  Choose  one  of  your  classmates  to  introduce  the 
speaker,  and  invite  other  English  classes  to  be  your  guests. 

3.  Make  a  collection  of  photographs,  post  cards,  and 
magazine  illustrations  of  the  Trosachs.  Display  these 
pictures  in  your  classroom. 

4.  Draw  upon  the  blackboard  an  enlarged  map  of  the 
Highlands  of  Western  Perthshire,  between  Sterling  Castle 
and  Loch  Lomond. 

5.  Locate  upon  this  map,  places  mentioned  in  the  story. 

6.  Pay  special  attention  to  the  following  descriptions: 

The  Glen  at  Sunset,  Canto  I 

Ellen  Douglas,  Canto  I 

The  Preparation  of  the  Fiery  Cross,  Canto  III 

The  Parting  of  Roderick  Dhu  and  James  Fitz- James 

The  Sports  at  Sterling,  Canto  V 


250  Community  English 

7.  Upon  the  blackboard  make  a  list  of  descriptive 
pictures  that  might  form  a  series  of  paintings.  Under 
each  heading,  make  a  list  of  the  details  which  go  to  make  up 
the  picture. 

8.  No  two  of  the  songs  are  alike.  By  what  means  does 
the  author  carry  out  the  feeling  of  the  singer? 

9.  Memorize  your  favorite  selection  of  not  less  than 
twenty  lines. 

10.  Dramatize  important  scenes. 

11.  The  motion  picture  of  this  story  is  especially  worth 
seeing.     Arrange  for  its  production  in  your  city,  if  possible. 

1 2 .  Describe  and  characterize  the  most  important  persons 
in  this  story.    Make  illustrated  posters  of  them,  if  you  wish. 

13.  Debate  informally  these  questions: 

Resolved:  That  Roderick  Dhu  was  a  more  worthy 

suitor  for  the  hand  of  Ellen  than  was  Malcolm 

Graeme. 

Resolved:  The  Lady  of  the  Lake  is  a  more  interesting 

story  than  is  Evangeline, 

14.  Lines  741  ff..  Stanza  27,  Canto  VI  are  considered  the 
most  beautiful  simile  in  the  poem.  Give  your  reasons  for 
believing  that  this  is  or  is  not  true.  Select  from  the  poem 
four  other  figures  of  speech. 

15.  Contrast  the  opening  and  the  closing  stanzas  of  this 
poem. 

16.  Write  a  report  in  outline  form  for  a  biographical 
sketch  of  the  life  of  Sir  Walter  Scott. 

17.  Make  an  outhne  of  the  poem.  Be  sure  that  you  do 
not  leave  out  any  important  detail  but  do  not  include 
unimportant  material. 


The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece     251 

18.  Answer  the  following  questions: 

Why  was  the  author  willing  to  sell  this  masterpiece 

for  about  ten  dollars,  in  our  money? 
Who  is  the  hero  of  the  poem? 
What  was  the  significance  of  EUen^s  Snood? 
Ellen  and  Roderick  were  own  cousins.     Could  they 

have  been  legally  married? 
Is  the  Douglas  of  this  poem  a  historical  character  or 

a  fictitious  one? 
Which  was  the  more  beautiful,  Ellen  or  Evangeline  ? 

Defend  your  opinion. 
How  long  a  time  does  each  canto  represent  ? 
What  proofs  did  Fitz- James  have  that  Ellen  was  a 

chieftain's  daughter  in  Canto  I? 
How  did  Ellen  secure  the  respect  of  the  soldiers  at 

Sterling? 

19.  You  may  use  the  following  suggestions  for  your  work 
in  oral  and  written  composition : 

The  Adventures  of  a  Hunter. 

Give  an  account  of  the  day  of  the  chase  up  to  the 
time  of  the  meeting  of  Fitz- James  and  Ellen. 
•  A  Highland  Welcome. 

Let  James  V  describe  his  first  visit  to  the  island 
retreat  of  Douglas. 

Omens  of  Evil. 

Give  an  account  of  the  falling  of  the  sword  when 
Fitz- James  entered  Roderick's  home  and  of  the 
disturbing  dreams  that  came  to  the  guest. 

The  Fatal  Symbol. 


252  Community  English 

Describe  the  gathering  of  the  clan,  showing  how 
the   fiery   cross   interrupted   a   wedding  and    a 
funeral. 
A  Blighted  Life. 

Relate  the  story  of  Blanche  of  Devan's  life  and 
show  how  she  was  avenged. 

Malcolm's  Encounter  with  Roderick. 

Describe  the  circumstances  that  led  to  the  combat 
between  Malcolm  and  Roderick. 

The  Taghairm. 

Describe  the  augury  practiced  by  Brian  to  discover  what 
would  be  the  outcome  of  the  war.  Show  how  the  proph- 
ecy made  by  him  was  fulfilled. 

The  Gobhn  Cave. 

Describe  the  hiding  place  of  Ellen  and  Douglas  and 
explain  in  detail  why  they  were  there. 

A  Worthy  Foe. 

Relate  instances  that  show  Roderick's  generosity  to 
Malcolm  Graeme  and  to  James  Fitz-James. 

The  Story  of  the  King's  Signet  Ring. 

Explain  the  circumstances  under  which  Fitz-James  gave 
Ellen  the  ring  and  show  how  it  fulfilled  its  mission. 

At  Coilantogle's  Ford. 

Describe  the  combat  between  Fitz-James  and  Roderick 
Dhu.  , 

An  Outlawed  Earl. 
Let  Ellen  tell  the  story  of  the  adventures  of  Douglas. 

The  Battle  of  Beal'  an  Duine. 

Give  an  account  of  the  battle  between  Clan-Alpine  and 
the  Saxon  forces  as  described  by  Allan  Bane. 


The  Study  of  a  Literary  Masterpiece     253 

The  Victor  of  the  Day. 

Let  Douglas  describe  to  Ellen  his  arrival  at  Sterling 

Castle  and  the  part  he  took  in  the  sports. 
A  Tale  of  Loyalty. 

Let  King  James  tell  of  the  loyalty  to  Douglas  shown  by 

the  people  on  the  day  of  the  burghers'  sports,  and  of 

Douglas's  loyalty  to  him. 
A  Monarch's  Generosity. 

Let  Ellen  describe  the  scene  in  the  presence  chamber  when 

King  James  pardoned  Douglas  and  Malcolm  Graeme. 


SIMILAR    UNDERTAKINGS 

SUGGESTIVE  LISTS  OF  BOOKS   FOR  STUDY  AND   GENERAL 

READING 

Grade  VII 

A.  Titles  from  which  selection  for  class  work  may  be  made. 

1.  Longfellow:    The  Skeleton  in  Armor,  The  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus, 

Excelsior,  The  Arsenal  at  Springfield,  The  Bridge,  The  Day  is  Done, 
Walter  von  der  Vogelweid,  The  Old  Clock  on  the  Stairs,  The  Arrow 
and  the  Song,  The  Building  of  the  Ship,  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert, 
Pegasus  in  Pound,  The  Phantom  Ship,  The  Emperor's  Bird's  Nest, 
Santa  Filomena,  Daybreak,  Sandalphon,  Maiden  and  Weathercock, 
The  Three  Kings,  The  Leap  of  Roushan  Beg. 

2.  Whittier:    The  Vaudois  Teacher,  Cassandra  Southwick,  The  Shoe- 

makers, The  Fishermen,  The  Huskers,  The  Angels  of  Buena  Vista, 
The  Lakeside,  The  Poor  Voter  on  Election  Day,  Maud  Muller,  The 
Barefoot  Boy,  Skipper  Ireson's  Ride,  The  Pipes  at  Lucknow,  Telling 
the  Bees,  The  Cable  Hymn,  My  Playmate,  Barbara  Frietchie,  Adam 
Davenport,  The  Three  Bells,  In  School  Days,  Marguerite,  The  Trail- 
ing Arbutus,  Our  Autocrat,  The  Poet  and  the  Children, 

3.  Longfellow:  Miles  Standish;  Evangeline. 

4.  Arabian  Nights  (expurgated  selections). 

5.  The  Seven  Champions  of  Christendom  (an  Elizabethan  prose  romance  of 

chivalry  and  necromancy). 

6.  Hawthorne  :  The  Great  Stone  Face. 

7.  Irving  :  Rip  Van  Winkle;  The  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow. 

8.  Lamb  :   Tales  from  Shakespeare. 

9.  Kipling  :  The  Jungle  Books  (The  Mowgli  Stories  especially). 

10.  Stevenson  :   Treasure  Island. 

11.  Stevens  and  Allen  :  Stories  of  King  Arthur. 

12.  Myths,  classic  and  northern.     For  this  reading  the  following  texts 

are  suggested:  Baldwin,  Hero  Tales  Told  in  School,  The  Golden 
Fleece,  The  Story  of  Siegfried,  The  Story  of  Roland,  Stories  of  the 
King;  Baker,  Stories  of  Old  Greece  and  Rome,  Stories  from  the 
254 


Books  for  Study  and  General  Reading     255 

Old  Norse  Myths;  Hutchinson,   The  Golden  Porch  {A  Book  of 
Greek  Fairy  Tales),  The  Sunset  of  the  Heroes  (Last  Adventures  of 
the  Takers  of  Troy),  Orpheus  with  His  Lute  {Stories  of  the  World's 
Springtime) ;  Mabie,  Norse  Stories,  Retold  from  the  Eddas. 
B.    Titles  from  which  selections  for  individual  reading  may  be  made. 

1.  Alcott:  Little  Women,  Little  Men,  Jo's  Boys,  Eight  Cousins,  Rose  in 

Bloom. 

2.  Brown  :  Rah  and  His  Friends. 

3.  Barrie  :  Peter  and  Wendy. 

4.  Dix:  Merrylips. 

5.  Dodge  :  Hans  Brinker. 

6.  Ewing:  Jan  of  the  Wind-Mill;  A  Flat  Iron  for  a  Farthing. 

7.  Field  :  Christmas  Tales  and  Christmas  Verse. 

8.  Griswold  :  Veering  of  Deal. 

9.  Goss :  A  Life  of  Grant  for  Boys. 

10.  Hasbrouck  :  The  Boy's  Parkman. 

11.  Hawthorne  :  Grandfather's  Chair. 

12.  Herbertson  :  Heroic  Legends. 

13.  Hulst:  Indian  Sketches. 

14.  Jordan  :  The  Story  of  Matka:  A  Tale  of  the  Mist-Islands. 
1$.  Lang  :  The  Story  of  Joan  of  Arc. 

16.  Lee  :  A  Quaker  Girl  of  Nantucket 

17.  Lucas  :  Slow  Coach. 

18.  Moore  :  Deeds  of  Daring  Done  by  Girls. 

19.  NicoLAY :  The  Boy's  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

20.  Ollivant  :  Bob,  Son  of  Battle. 

21.  Pyle:  Otto  of  the  Silver  Hand;    The  Merry  Adventures  of  Robin 

Hood. 

22.  Ramee  :   The  N umber g  Stove. 

23.  Richards  :  Captain  January. 

24.  Sea  WELL :  A  Virginia  Cavalier. 

25.  SouTHEY :  The  Life  of  Lord  Nelson. 

26.  Spyri:  Heidi;  Heimatlos. 

27.  Swift:  Gulliver's  Travels  (expurgated). 

28.  Tappan  :  In  the  Days  of  Queen  Victoria. 

29.  Thompson-Seton  :    The  Biography  of  a  Grizzly;   The  Trail  of  the 

Sandhill  Stag;  Two  Little  Savages. 

30.  Trowbridge  :  Cudjo's  Cave. 

31.  Wiggin  :  The  Birds'  Christmas  Carol;  Polly  Oliver's  Problem. 

32.  Wright:  Gray  Lady  and  the  Birds. 


256  Community  English 

Grade  VIII 

A .  Titles  from  which  selection  for  class  work  may  be  made. 

1.  An  anthology  of  American  poems,  compiled  especially  for  eighth- 

year  use  and  including  numbers  such  as  Bryant's  To  a  Water 
Fowl,  Lowell's  Yussouf,  Lanier's  Song  of  the  Chattahoochee,  and 
some  of  the  best  of  Riley  and  Field,  as  well  as  material  from  Long- 
fellow, Holmes,  and  Whittier  of  the  type  above  quoted. 

2.  Holmes:    Old  Ironsides,  The  Last  Leaf,  My  Aunt,  The  Height  of 

the  Ridiculous,  Lexington,  The  Steamboat,  The  Voiceless,  The  Boys, 
All  Here,  Our  Banker,  The  Chambered  Nautilus,  Album  Verses 
{When  Eve  Had  Led  Her  Lord  Away),  Contentment,  The  Deacon'' s 
Masterpiece,  Aunt  Tabitha,  An  Old-Year  Song,  Dorothy  Q,  A  Ballad 
of  the  Boston  Tea  Party,  Union  and  Liberty,  Grandmother's  Story 
of  Bunker  Hill,  How  the  Old  Horse  Won  the  Bet,  The  First  Fan,  My 
Aviary,  The  Broomstick  Train. 
3;   Cooper  :   The  Last  of  the  Mohicans. 

4.  Scott  :  The  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel. 

5.  M  AC  aula  y:  H  or  alius. 

6.  Warner:  A-Hunting  of  the  Deer,  How  I  Killed  a  Bear,  Camping  Out 

(from  In  the  Wilderness). 

7.  Hale  :   The  Man  Without  a  Country. 

8.  Dickens:  Christmas  Carol ;  The  Cricket  on  the  Hearth, 
g.   Van  Dyke  :   The  Story  of  the  Other  Wise  Man. 

10.  Longfellow  :   Selections  from  Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn  {King  Robert 

of  Sicily,  Parts  of  the  Saga  of  King  Olaf,  Ballad  of  Carmilhan, 
Legend  Beautiful,  Charlemagne,  The  Mother's  Ghost,  Falcon  of  Set 
Federigo,  Bell  of  Atri,  etc.). 

11.  Sweets er:  Ten  Boys  and  Girls  from  Dickens;  Boys  and  Girls  from 

Thackeray. 

12.  MiMs:   The  Van  Dyke  Book. 

13.  Kipling  :  Captains  Courageous. 

14.  Tennyson  :  Gareth  and  Lynette. 

15.  Stevenson:  Kidnapped. 

16.  Whittier:  Snow-Bound. 

B.  Titles  from  which  selections  for  individual  reading  may  be  made. 

1.  Bullen  :   The  Cruise  of  the  Cachalot. 

2.  Burnett:  The  Secret  Garden. 

3.  Cooper:   The  Deerslayer ;  The  Pilot. 

4.  Clemens  :  The  Prince  and  the  Pauper. 


Books  for  Study  and  General  Reading     257 

5.  Davis  :  Stories  for  Boys. 

6.  De  Amicis  :  An  Italian  School  Boy's  Journal. 

7.  Drx :  Soldier  Rigdale. 

8.  DouBLEDAY :  Stories  of  Invention. 

9.  Doyle  :  Micah  Clarke. 

10.  Duncan  :  Adventures  of  Billy  Topsail. 

11.  Eastman:  An  Indian  Boyhood. 

12.  Eggleston:   The  Hoosier  Schoolmaster. 

13.  FouQUE :   Undine. 

14.  Hale  :  A  New  England  Boyhood. 

15.  Halsey  :   The  Old  New  York  Frontier. 

16.  Harris  :  Nights  with  Uncle  Remus. 

17.  King  :  Cadet  Days,  a  story  of  West  Point. 

18.  London  :   The  Call  of  the  Wild. 

19.  Lang  :   The  Book  of  Romance. 

20.  Laurie,  Andre  :  School  Days  in  Italy;  School  Days  in  France  (trans- 

lated by  Kendall). 

21.  Liliencrantz  :   The  Thrall  of  Lief  the  Lucky. 

22.  Madden:  Emmy  Lou. 

23.  Montgomery:  Anne  of  Green  Gables ;  Anne  of  Avonlea. 

24.  Morris  :   The  Sundering  Flood. 

25.  Lincoln  :  A  Pretty  Tory. 

26.  Parkman  :  Montcalm  and  Wolfe. 

27.  Pyle:    The  Story  of  King  Arthur  and  His  Knights;    The  Story  of 

the  Champions  of  the  Round  Table;  The  Story  of  Sir  Launcelot  and 
His  Companions. 

28.  Rice  :  Mrs.  Wiggs  of  the  Cabbage  Patch. 

29.  Scott  :  Rob  Roy. 

30.  Seaman  :  Jacqueline  of  the  Carrier  Pigeons. 

31.  Sharp:  A  Watcher  in  the  Woods. 

32.  Warner:  Being  a  Boy. 

33.  Wiggin  :  Rebecca  of  Sunnybrook  Farm. 

Grade  IX 
.   Titles  from  which  selections  for  class  work  may  be  made. 

I.  Narrative  poems  such  as  Cowper's  John  Gilpin's  Ride^  Burns's 
Tarn  O'Shanter,  Scott's  Lochinvar,  Wordsworth's  Michael, 
Byron's  The  Prisoner  of  Chillon,  Browning's  How  They  Brought 
the  Good  News  from  Ghent  to  Aix,  Herve  Riel,  Rossetti's  The  White 
Ship,  Morris's  AtaJanta's  Race,  Lowell's  The  Courtin'. 


258  Community  English 

2.  Lyric  poems  such  as  Shelley's  To  a  Skylark,  Wordsworth's 

Reaper,  Browning's  Home  Thoughts  from  Abroad,  Emerson's 
Concord  Hymn,  Burns's  A  Man's  a  Man  for  a'  That,  Rossetti's 
Up-Hill,  Keats's  On  First  Looking  into  Chapman's  Homer,  By- 
ron's On  the  Castle  of  Chilian,  Tennyson's  The  Merman,  Whit- 
man's O  Captain!  My  Captain!  Garland's  The  Wind  in  the 
Pines,  Poe's  To  Helen,  Beeching's  Bicycling  Song. 

3.  Short  stories  such  as  Poe's  The  Gold  Bug,  Hawthorne's  The  Am- 

bitious Guest,  Hardy's  The  Three  Strangers,  Brown's  Farmer 
Eli's  Vacation,  Wilkins-Freeman's  The  Revolt  of  Mother,  O. 
Henry's  The  Chaparral  Prince,  Davis's  Gallegher. 

4.  Bates  :  A  Ballad  Book. 

5.  Hale  :  Ballads  and  Ballad  Poetry. 

6.  Scott  :   The  Lady  of  the  Lake. 

7.  Homer:  T/feOffy^jey (Palmer's trans.);  TAe //tW (Bryant's trans. in 

part). 

8.  Dickens:  David Copperfield. 

9.  Scott:   The  Talisman;  Quentin Durward. 

10.  Kipling:  Kim. 

11.  Shakespeare:  Julius  Caesar. 

12.  Franklin:  Autobiography. 

13.  Informal  studies  of  current  literature,  plays,  photoplays,  etc. 
B.  Titles  from  which  selections  for  individual  reading  may  be  made. 

1.  Antin:   The  Promised  Land. 

2.  Bates  :  The  Story  of  the  Canterbury  Pilgrims. 

3.  Churchill  :  The  Crisis. 

4.  Clemens:    The  Adventures  of  Tom  Sawyer;    The  Adventures  of 

Huckleberry  Finn. 

5.  Cooper  :  The  Spy. 

6.  Craddock  :  The  Prophet  of  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains, 

7.  Dana  :   Two  Years  Before  the  Mast. 

8.  Defoe  :  Robinson  Crusoe. 

g.  Deland  :  Old  Chester  Tales;  Doctor  Lavendar^s  People. 

10.  Dickens  :  Oliver  Twist;  The  Old  Curiosity  Shop. 

11.  Doyle:   The  Adventures  of  Sherlock  Holmes. 

12.  Fox :   The  Little  Shepherd  of  Kingdom  Come. 

13.  Homer  :  The  Iliad  (as  done  into  English  by  Butcher  and  Lang). 
14-  Hughes  :  Tom  Brown's  School  Days* 

15.  Irving:   Tales  of  a  Traveler. 

16.  Keller  :  The  Story  of  My  Life, 


Books  for  Study  and  General  Reading     259 

17.  Kingsley:  Westward  Ho  I 

18.  Kipling  :  Selections  from  the  Day^s  Work  and  Phantom  Rickshaw. 

19.  Mitchell  :  Hugh  Wynne. 

20.  Montgomery:  Tales  of  Avonlea. 

21.  Marshall:  English  Literature  for  Boys  and  Girls  (selections  to  be 

made  by  teacher). 

22.  Moore  :  Stories  of  Tennessee. 

23.  Parkman  :   The  Oregon  Trail. 

24.  Porter:  Freckles;  Laddie;  A  Girl  of  the  Limberlost. 

25.  Rideing:  The  Boyhood  of  Famous  Authors. 

26.  RoLFE :  Shakespeare,  the  Boy. 

27.  Scott:  Guy  Mannering,  Woodstock. 

28.  Smith  :  Caleb  West. 

2Q.  Stevenson:   The  Black  Arrow. 

30.  Stockton:  Jolly  Fellowship ;  Captain  Chap. 

31.  Thompson-Seton  :  Wild  Animals  I  Have  Known. 

32.  Vergil:  Mneid  (in  a  good  translation). 

33.  Wallace:  Ben  Hur. 

34.  Books  contained  in  seventh  and  eighth  year  class  reading  lists  but 

not  actually  read  in  class. 


INDEX 


Abbreviations,  152;  initials,  152;  titles, 

152 
Acceptance,  speech  of,  1861 ;  192-193 
A  Cherry -Tree  Festival,  quotation,  43 
Addresses,  on  envelopes,  13, 14 
Adjectives,  153 ;    comparison  of,  155 
Adjustment,  letter  of,  14, 16 
Adverbs,  153 

Advertisements,  26,  28,  29 
^sop,  119, 123 
Afl5rmative,  170 

A  Japanese  Baby,  quotation,  42 
Alcott,  Louisa  M.,  176 
America  for  Me,  136-137 
America  the  Beautiful,  139-140 
American     authors     contest,    173-176; 

how  to  play,   173-174;    list    of    titles 

and  authors,  175-176 
Anthology,  class,  51 
Antonyms,  154 

Applying  for  a  position,  16,  17,  18,  19,  26 
Argumentation.    See  Debate 
Atlas,  91 
Audubon  club,  208-209 

Bates,  Katharine  Lee,  quotation  from, 

139-140 
Bay  Psalm  Book,  227 
Bennett,  H.  H.,  quotation  from,  138-139 
Bill,  or  statement,  107 
Biographical  sketches,  79-82,  250 
Bird  diary,  223,  225 

Bixby,  Mrs.,  letter  from  A.  Lincoln,  11 
Body  of  a  letter,  12 
Book  index,  90 
Book  reports,  77-78 
Booklet,  2,  24,  37-51;    how    to   make 

booklets,  37,  39,  40,  217-218 
Boy  Scouts,  202,  211 


Bread  and  butter  letter,  9 

Breathes    There    the     Man,    quotation, 

137-138 
Brooks,  Phillips,    letter  of    greeting,  5; 

quotation  from  rhymed   letter,    216- 

217 
Bryant,  William  CuUen,  9,  175;  quota- 
tion from,  193 
Byron,  Lord,  221 

Buddy  and  Waffles,  quotation  from,  101 
Bulletin  board,  11 5-1 17;    how    to    use, 

lis;  filing  material  displayed,  116 
Burroughs,  John,  letter  of  greeting,  3; 

description    of,     loi ;     quoted,    146; 

works,  176 
Business  forms,  12 
Business  letters,  11 
Business  meetings,  108-112 

Cablegram,  23 

Call  of  the  Wild,  The,  quotation  from,  103 

Campaigns,  205-215;  Publit  Health, 
206-208 ;  Protection  of  Birds,  208-209 1 
Thrift,  209-211;  Safety  First,  211- 
212;  Clean  Up,  212;  Fly  Swatting, 
213;  Junior  Red  Cross  drive,  123; 
Americanization,  213;  Victory  Drive 
for  better  English,  213-215 

Card  catalogue,  91 

Chairman  of  meeting,  109 ;  instructions 
for,  no 

Charts,  93,  104;  how  to  make,  105; 
subjects  for,  105-106 

Check,  107 

Chelsea  boy  clings  to  Old  Glory,  233 

Choosing  a  Vocation,  37 ;  quotation 
from,  43 

Churchill,  Winston,  176 

Circulating  library,  class,  78 


261 


262 


Index 


Civil  Service  Commission,  69 

Claim  letter,  15 

Class  activities,  post  oflSce,  29;  book- 
let, 51,  217;  scrapbook,  51,  56; 
sketch  book,  84 ;  bank,  107  ;  anthol- 
ogy, 51;  circulating  library,  78; 
museum,  199-203 ;  class  publication, 
227-239;  campaigns,  205-215;  class 
play,  119,  123;  short  poem  recital, 
136;  games  and  contests,  148-176; 
business  meetings,  108-112 

Clean  Up  campaign,  212-213 

Clubs,  bird,  31,  208-209;  com,  31; 
pig,    31 ;     canning,   31 ;    poultry,     31 

Community  civics,  subjects  based  upon, 
48,  49,  50 

Comparison,  adjectives  and  adverbs, 
155 

Complaint,  letter  of,  15 

Complimentary  endings,  9, 12 

Composition  writing,  39;  specimen 
compositions,  41,  42,43,44;  optional 
subjects,  44-50;  subjects  based  upon 
history,  31-36,  44-46;  upon  geog- 
(  raphy,     48;      upon     literature,      47, 

48 ;  upon  agriculture,  46 ;  upon  com- 
munity civics,  48-50;  upon  house- 
hold arts,  46 ;  essay  contest,  167 

Compositions,  oral,  105,  106,  107,  183- 
198,  199-203;  list  of  subjects,  202-203 

Congressional  Directory,  91 

Contests,  getting  a  job,  29;  memory, 
135;  booklet,  51,  148-176;  grammar 
baseball,  149-158;  spelling,  158-159; 
paragraph  archery,  162-166;  essay, 
167;  prize  speaking,  167-169; 
debate,  169-173;  American  authors, 
173-176;  stamp  sale,  209 

Conversations,  telephone,  177-182 

Coolidge,  Calvin,  190 

Cooper,  James  F.,  175 

Correction  of  proof,  231 

Courtship   of  Mtles   Siandish,  174,   175 

Current  events,  74;  current  event 
day,  no 

Davis,  Richard  Harding,  quotation  from, 

lOI 

Day  letter,  22 

Debates,    169-173;     definitions,     170; 


how  to  conduct,  1 70-1 71 ;  subject 
for,  1 71-173 

Descriptions,  98 ;  how  to  write,  99-101, 
103;  model  paragraphs,  101-102, 
103-104;  subjects  for,  99-100,  103, 
245,  247,  249 

Diaries,  209,  223-226;  definition,  223; 
extract  from,  223;  what  to  do,  224- 
225;  subjects  for,  225-226;  travel 
diary,  225 

Dictation,  30 

Dictionary,  use  of,  86,  87,  88,  89 

Dictionary  guide  words,  87 

Dramatization,  oral  and  written,  118- 
^33',  questions  on,  121 ;  suggestion 
for,  123-125;  subjects  for,  131, 
133;  better  speech  play,  214;  dram- 
atization of  literary  masterpieces, 
241,  246,  250 

Editorial,  234-235 

Eggleston,  Edward,  176 

Electricity,  60 

Elsie  Venner,  quotation  from,  104 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo,  175 

Encyclopedia,  78,  89,  90 

Essay  contest,  167 

Evangeline,  24,  173,  174,  241-244 

Executive  department,  68 

Exercises  in  letter  writing,  24-36 

Exhibits    to    accompany     short     talks. 


Farrar,  Canon  Frederic  William,  4 
Field,  Eugene,  176 
Figuresof  speech,  136,  242 
Finnemore,  John,  quotation  from,  94 
Fire  department,  71 
First  Schoolhouses,  quotation,  96,  97 
Fox,  John,  Jr.,  176 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  20, 175 

Games  and  contests,  148-176 

Garbage  disposal,  70 

Garland,  Hamlin,  quotation  from,  104; 

works,  176 
Gas,  57 

Geography,  subjects  based  upon,  48 
Girl  Scouts,  2oe,  211 
Glass,  Carter,  letter  to  pupils,  210,  211 


Index 


263 


Government,  67 

Grammar,   baseball,   149-158;  what  to 

do.  149;  how  to  do  it,  149-151 
Greene,  Sarah  McLean,  176 
Greeting  in  letters,  1 2 
Griffin  and  the  Minor  Canon,  quotation 

from,  96 
Group  activities,  29,  31,  51 

Hale,  Edward  Everett,  176 

Harris,  Joel  Chandler,  176 . 

Harrison,  Henry  S.,  176 

Harte,  Bret,  24,  176 

Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  quotation  from. 

101-102,  175,  254,  25s 
Heading  in  letters,  1 2 
Health  department,  69 
Henley,  W.  E.,  quotation  from,  139 
Henry,  O.,  176 
History,    subjects   based   upon,     31-36, 

44,  45,  46 
Holmes,  Oliver  Wendell,  quotation  from, 

104, 175       _ 
Home  project  in  agriculture,  77 
Homonyms,  87 
Hospitals,  64 
House  of  Seven   Gables,  quotation  from, 

101-102 
Household  arts,  subjects  based  upon,  46 
Howe,  Julia  Ward,  176 
Hubbard,   Elbert,  quotation  from,   101 

I  Am  the  Captain  of  My  Soul,  quotation 

from,  139 
If,  141, 142 
Illustrated     booklets,      2,     24,     37-51, 

217-218 
Indentation,  99 
Index,  book,  90 
Industries,  local,  75 
Instruction,  letter  of,  19 
Introduction,   speeches  of,  184,  1 90-1 91 
Invitation,  8 
Irving,  Washington,  24,    175 ;    study  of 

Rip  Van   Winkle,   244-246,   254,   258 
Ivanhoe,  173 

Jackson,  Helen  Hunt,  175 
Japan,  quotation  from,  94 
Japanese    Books,     quotation,    94;    par- 
agraph plan,  94,  95 


Johnson,  Clifton,  quoted,  97 
Judicial  Department,  73 

Keller,  Helen,  176 

Key,  Francis  Scott.  175 

King  Frederick  and  the  Page,  quotation. 

121. 122 
King  of  the  Golden  River,  The,  quotation 

from,  102 
Kingsley,  Charles.  6 
Kipling,     Rudyard,     quotation     from, 

141-142, 218 

Lamb,  Charles,  254 

Lantern  sUdes,  238-239,  241 

Lee,    Robert   E.    quotation   from     195 

Legislative  department,  68 

Letter  writing,  value,  i :  how  to  write 
correct  letters,  2,  3,  4;  personal  let- 
ters, 2,  3 ;  greeting,  3,  5 ;  letter  with 
gift,  5  ;  thanks,  7 ;  invitation  8 ;  com- 
plimentary endings.  9,  1 2  ;  letter  to 
hostess  (bread  and  butter),  9;  sym- 
pathy, 10,  11;  business  letters,  11; 
form  of,  12;  address,  12,  14;  head- 
ing, 12,  14;  greeting,  12;  body,  12; 
signature,  12;  superscription,  12; 
examples  of,  13;  specimen  letters, 
complaint,  14;  adjustment,  14,  16; 
receipt,  15;  order,  14;  claim,  15; 
application,  16,  17,  18,  19;  instruc- 
tion, letter  of,  19;  telegrams,  21; 
day  letter,  22 ;  night  letter,  23 ; 
dictation,  30;  practice  exercises  in 
letter  writing,  24-36;  rhymed 
letters,  216-219 

Library,  public,  63 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  letter  to  Mrs.  Bixby, 
II,  175;  quotation  from,  194-195, 
217,  243,  247 

Lincoln,  Joseph  C,  quotation  from,  98 

Lists  of  spelling  words,  160-162 ;  sub- 
jects for  oral  compositions,  202-203 ; 
Subjects  for  diaries,  225-226;  books 
for  reading  and  study,  254-259 

Literature,  composition  subjects  based 
upon,  47,  48 

Lodge,  Henry  Cabot,  quotations  from, 
190, 193-194 


264 


Index 


London,    Jack,     quotation    from,    103 ; 

works,  176 
Longfellow,  Henry  W.,  5,  6,   174,   175, 

220,  221 ;    study   of    Evangeline,  241- 

244 ;   study  of  The  Courtship  of  Miles 

Standish,  246-249,  254 
Loss  and  Recovery  of  a  Horse,  quotation, 

I  iQ ;  dramatized,  1 20-1 2 1 
Lowell,  Abbott  Lawrence,  190;   quoted, 

192-193 
Lowell,  James  Russell,  quotation  from, 

135-136, 145, 175 

Mabie,  Hamilton  Wright,  176 

Magazine,  class  or  school.  See  class 
publication 

Making  of  booklets,  2,  24,  37-51 

Manuscript,  preparation  of,  230-231 

Margins,  in  a  letter,  14 

Markets,  mimicipal,  66 

Memory  contest,  135 

Memory  training,  134-147;  how  to 
memorize^  134-135 ;  speaking  con- 
test, 167-169;  memory  storehouse, 
243 

Meter,  definition  of,  218 

Minutes  of  the  meeting,  109 ;  definition, 
1 1 1 ;  appearance  of,  1 1  i-i  1 2 ;  con- 
tents of,  112 

Modern  health  crusaders,  208 

Moore,  Clement  C,  quotation  from, 
220 

Moroso,  John  A.,  quotation   .from,  loi 

Motions,  how  to  put,  i  lo-i  1 1 

Motion  pictures,  238-239,  241 

Municipal  playgrounds,  62 ;  markets, 
66;  water  works,  56;  gas,  57;  tel- 
ephones, 58;  transportation,  58; 
parks,  61 ;  library,  63 ;  hospital,  64 ; 
schools,  65 ;    government,  67-73 

Museum,  class,  199-203 

Narration,  news    stories,    232-234,  238, 

244,  247,  248,  251,  252-253 
Negative  of  question,  170 
News  items,  230,  232-234 
Night  letter,  23 
Notebooks,   113-114;   appearance,   113; 

contents  of,  114,  214,  241 
Noyes,  Alfred,  quotation  from,  220 


Old  Time    Schools    and    School    Books, 

quotation  from,  97 
Optional  composition  subjects,  44-50 
Oral  reports,  54-84 
Orderly  school,  quotation,  96 
Oregon  Trail,  quotation  from,  102 

Paragraph  study,  14,  93-99;  plan,  94, 
95;  diagram,  95;  paragraph  writ- 
ing, 99-101,  105-106;  archery  con- 
test, 162-166;  description  para- 
graphs, 101-102 ;  subjects,  103,  106, 
107 

Parkman,  Francis,  quotation  from,  102, 
175 

Parks,  61 

Parliamentary  usa^e,  1 08-1 12 

Parts  of  speech,  151 

Patsy's  Home  Again,  234 

Pau,  6,  7 

Payne,  John  Howard,  175 

Personal  interviews,  75 

Pictures,  John  Burroughs,  frontispiece, 
Gathering  Material  for  a  Report,  54 ; 
The  School  Library,  86 ;  Dramatizing 
Hiawatha,  132;  The  Short  Speech,  187 

Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin,  1 73 

Plan  for  biographical  sketch,  81 ;  for 
historical  sketch,  82 

Playgrounds,  62 

Play  writing,  1 18-133;  questions  on, 
121;  how  to  write,  123,  124,  125; 
subjects  for  plays,  131, 133 

Plural  forms,  154-155,  157 

Poe,  Edgar  Allan,  175 

Police  department,  70 

Point  of  view,  98,  99;   definition,  102 

Post  ofl&ce,  class,  29,  49 

Postal  telegraph,  22 

Posters  and  charts,  93-107 ;  how  to 
make  a  poster,  98 ;  poster  of  a  build- 
ing, 102 ;  fKjsters  for  campaigns,  206, 
208,  211,  213 

Practice  list  of  spelling  words,  160-162 ; 
list  of  American  authors,  175-176 

Preparation  of  manuscript,  230-231 

Presentation,    speech   of,    185,    191-192 

Printing  press,  school,  236-239;  prod- 
ucts, 236;  suggestions,  238;  sub- 
jects for  study,  238-239 


Index 


26s 


Prize  speaking  contest,  167-169 

Proof,  correction  of,  231 

Protection  of  birds,  208-209 

Publication,  class,  227-239;  what  to 
do,  228-229;  writing  news  items, 
230 ;  preparation  of  manuscript,  230- 
231;  correction  of  proof,  231;  speci- 
men news  stories,  231-234;  model 
editorial,  234-236 

Public  health  campaign,  206-208; 
what  to  do,  206-207 

PubUc  service  department,  70;  gar- 
bage disposal,  70;  street  cleaning, 
71;  fire  department,  71 ;  city  streets, 
72 

Public  utilities  reports,  54-74 

Punctuation,  157 

Quaker  Poet,  7 

Questions  for  grammar  review,   151-158 

Quotations  to  be  memorized,   143-147 

Receipt,  107 

Red  Cross,  205,  211,  213 

Reference  books,  how  to  use,  85-92 ; 
World  Almanac,  92;  Congressional 
Directory,  91 ;  table  of  contents,  90; 
Who's  Who,  91 ;  general  magazine 
index,  90;  book  index,  90;  diction- 
ary, 87,  88,  89;  encyclopedia,  89,  90; 
gazetteer,  90;  atlas,  91;  card  cata- 
logue, 91 ;    dictionary    of  quotations, 

91 
Refutation,  171 
Reports,  20,   54-74 ;  current  events,  74 ; 

industries,  75  ;  personal  interview,  75  ; 

shop  work   or    manual    training,  76; 

home     project     in    agriculture,    77 ; 

book     report,     77-78;      biographical 

sketch,     79-82 ;       historical     sketch, 

82-84 
Rhymes.    See  Verse  making 
Rhythm,  definition  of,  218;   221,  247 
Riley,  James  Whitcomb,  176,  220 
Rip  Van  Winkle,  244-246 
Robert's  Rules  of  Order,  1 1 2 
Rock  Slide  in  Cave  of  Winds,  232 
Roosevelt,    Theodore,  24;    works,  176; 

quoted,  192 
Ruskin,  John,  quotation  from,  102 


Safety  first  campaign,  21 1-2 12 

School  gardens,  49,  50 

School  paper,  207,  227-239;  what  to 
do,  228-230;  news  items,  230 

School  printing  press,  236-239;  prod- 
ucts of  press,  236;  suggestions  for 
use  of,  238;   subjects   for    study,  238 

School  song,  221-222 

Schools,  public,  65 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  quotation  from,  137- 
138 ;  study  of  The  Lady  of  the  Lake, 
249-253 

Scrapbooks,  51,  56 

Secretary  of  meeting,  109-110;  instruc- 
tions for,  n  I 

Selections  for  memorizing,  135-147 

Sentences,  151;  subject  and  predicate, 
153;  declarative,  153,  157;  topic 
sentence,  97, 163-164 

Shavings,  quotation  from,  98 

Sherwood,  Margaret,  quotation  from, 
104 

Shop  work  reports,  76 

Short  poem  recital,  136 

Short  speech,  183-198;  introduction, 
184,  190-191,  249;  presentation,  185, 
191-192 ;  acceptance,  186,  192-193 ; 
response  to  a  toast,  186,  196-197; 
announcement,  188;  for  special 
occasions,  188,  197-198;  welcome 
189,  193-194;  farewell,  194,  195,  196; 
to  accompany  exhibit  in  museum, 
199-203 

Sketch  book,  class,  84 

Slogans,  206,  211,  213 

Smith,  F.  Hopkinson,  176 

Song  of  the  Middle  Border,  quotation,  104 

Specimen  compositions,    41,  42,  43,  44 

Spelling  contests,  158-159 

Sp)elling  lists,  160-162 

Stamp  sale  contest,  209 

Standish,  Miles,  24 

Stevenson,  R.  L.,  219 

Stockton,  Frank  R.,  quotation  from,  96; 
works,  176 

Stowe,  Harriet  Beecher,  175 

Street  advertising,  49 

Streets,  city,  72 

Study  of  a  literary  masterpiece,  240- 
259;    general  instructions,     240-241; 


266 


Index 


Evangeline,  241-244;  Rip  Van 
Winkle,  244-246;  The  Courtship  oj 
Miles  Standish,  246-249;  The  Lady 
of  the  Lake,  249-253 ;  books  for  read- 
ing and  study,  254-259 

Subjects  for  debate,  1 71-173 

Sumner,  Charles,  quotation   from,    141 

Sympathy,  letter  of,  10,  n 

Synonyms,  87, 154 

Table  of  contents,  90 
Tarkington,  Booth,  24;   works,  176 
Telegrams,  21 

Telephone,    58;  use  of  telephone  direc- 
tory,   89;     conversations,      177-182; 

assignments,  179-182 
Tennyson,  Alfred,  4,  220 
Thanatopsis,  8 
Thank  You  letter,  7 
The     Capture     of     Quebec,     quotation, 

125-126;  dramatized,  1 26-131 
The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish,  246-249 
The  Flag  Goes  By,  quotation  from,  138- 

139 
The  House-Dog  and  the  Wolf,  quotation 

from,  122-123 
The  Lady  of  the  Lake,  249-253 
The  Lip-Lazy    American,    an    editorial, 

234-235 
The  National  Flag,    quotation  from,  141 
The  Sugar  Exhibit,  a  short  talk,  203 
The  Worn  Doorstep,  quotation   from,  104 
Thoreau,  Henry  David,  175 
Thrift  campaign,  209,  210,  211 
Toast,    186,    196-197 ;   how  to    respond 

to  a,  187-188 
Topic  sentence,  97,  163-164 
Transportation,  58 
Travel  diary,  225 
Travel  letter,  6 
Twain,  Mark,  24, 175 

Undertakings,  letter  writing,  1-36; 
booklets,  37-52;  reports,  54-84; 
use  of  reference  books,  85-92 ;  post- 
ers and  charts,  93-107 ;  class  par- 
liamentary usage,  108-112;  note- 
books, 113-114;  bulletin  board, 
115-117;  dramatization,  118-133; 
memory    training,    134-147;     games 


and  contests,  148-176;  telephone 
conversations,  177-182;  the  short 
speech,  183-198;  the  class  mu- 
seum, 199-203;  campaigns,  205-215; 
verse-making,  216-222;  diaries,  223- 
226;  class  publication,  227-239; 
study  of  a  literary  masterpiece,  240- 
259 
Van   Bibber  and  Others,  quotation  from, 

lOI 

Van  Dyke,  Henry,  quotation  from,  136- 
137;  works,  176,  219 

Verbs,  active  and  passive,  154;  princi- 
pal parts  of,  157 

Verse  making,  216-222;  models,  216- 
221;  what  to  do,  218;  for  special 
occasions,  221 ;  rhymed  letters,  221 ; 
invitations,  221;  class  or  school 
song,  221-222  ;  definition  of  verse,   218 

Victoria,  Queen,  23 

Victory  drive  for  better  English,  213-215 

Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,  quotation  from, 
135-136 

Vocation,  choosing  a,  37,  39,  40,  43 

Wallace,  Lew,  176 

Waller,  Mary  E.,  176 

Washington,  George,  19 

Water  Babies,  6 

Water  works,  56 

Western  Union,  21 

Westward  Ho !  6 

White,  William  Allen,  quotation  from, 

153-154, 176 
Whitman,  Walt,  175 

Whittier,  John  G.,  4,  7,  8,  175,  254,  256 
Who's  Who,  91 
Why  a  Baby    Elephant    Was    Spanked, 

quotation,  41 
Wiggin,  Kate  Douglas,  176 
Wister,  Owen,  176 

Wolfe,  James,     dramatization,    1 26-1 31 
World  Almanac,  85,  92 
Word  contests,  88,  89 
Word  lists,  new,    89;    study    of    words, 

248-249 
Written  reports,  54-84 

Youth's  Companion,  14, 15, 16 


re  35338 


54T216 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


